


Say, Say, Say

by dnawhite76, Prubbs



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Superman (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Graduate School, Long-Distance Friendship, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-09 01:06:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 45,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13470468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dnawhite76/pseuds/dnawhite76, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prubbs/pseuds/Prubbs
Summary: Placed together by random dorming assignment, Bruce, Clark and Barry could not have been more different. Forced to endure Bruce’s endless parade of one night stands, Clark is convinced that his annoyance has absolutely nothing to do with just how attractive his least favorite roommate happens to be. And even though Bruce finds Clark’s small town charm annoying- they strike up an easy repertoire, despite their differences.As their lives become more entwined, they begin to appreciate their different- yet somewhat shared- experiences, and fall into a friendship that neither one of them expected. But when they both find themselves in steady relationships, they both begin to experience unexpected jealousy and unease that pushes them back towards one another.A DC Grad School AU in Alternating Perspectives, inspired by the song Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> _“When I say, ‘I love you,’ it’s not because I want you or because I can’t have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I’ve seen your kindness and your strength. I’ve seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You are one hell of a person.” - **Rebecca Rand Kirshner**_

**CHAPTER ONE**

James looked at the ratty brown stone building with a box in his hand before looking back at Clark who was still in the bed of his truck, pushing the heavier stuff to the front. “Uh, Clark?” he asked and he just knew that he was about to launch into reporter mode. 

“Uh James.” He grinned jumping down and grabbed the next box. “You know that things don't actually make it inside unless you walk into the building.” He told him like it wasn't the simplest thing in the world as he walked past the man into the resident hall. 

James rushed up to meet him, sticking out like a sore thumb in his khakis and button up work shirt- not that he seemed to care too much. “Just hear me out.” He said providing the argument that was sure to come. “You already have your degree- so why, really _why_ , do you need to be back? It'll suck up all of the time that you should be spending at the Planet-” 

“I was spending the same amount of time at school and the Planet when I got my bachelor's.” Clark argued shaking his head as he turned the corner to stay on the first floor. He had only been by once to drop off the heavier stuff earlier that week but he still knew the way pretty well. “Besides,” he told him spinning on his heel to walk backwards so that he could look at him. “I'm a copy editor. I can do half of the work from home.” James had tried to talk him out of it then too, but Clark's mind had been way past made up when he took his exams to get into grad school. He had worked his ass off at school the first time around. He had worked his ass off in his internship at the Daily Planet and he was lucky to have his job. But he wanted more than that. He wanted to write his own stories, stories that mattered. He wanted the write things that people would read and talk about for years. Grad school was the best way to get there and he had spent so long working hard that a few more years of that didn't seem like much to pay to get it. 

James screwed up his face and sat himself squarely, refusing to admit defeat. “But do you have to live here?” he asked a little too loudly, earning a few heated stairs in their direction. He cleared his throat and started again. “Moving back into the dorm? You're twenty two.” 

“It's cheap.” Clark told him shrugged and turned to face the front again. “And still close to downtown.” 

“You know you can stay with me.” He said for the hundredth time. 

And Clark did. He had. He didn't want to do that anymore but he didn't know how to explain that to James. “I know.” He told him stopping at the last door in the hall and dangling his keys with the biggest smile he could flash him. “Home sweet home.” He told him with genuine excitement. It was exciting even though it was also daunting. James couldn't help but smile back as they opened the door. 

**-**

James left after they got the truck unpacked leaving Clark alone in the dorm he had been assigned to. It was a lot bigger than the one he had moved into freshman year, there were three bedrooms, a small living room and even a kitchen. He was excited about that. Clark had never been much of a cook but he didn't let that keep him from trying. He added his few dishes to what already existed in the cabinets and broke down the boxes as he headed for his room. His room was the one in the very back corner, not the biggest but it was the furthest away from the others, spared from sharing a wall with the other to by the bathroom. He had been to college. He knew enough to know that he would be happy for that wall later. He spent an hour unpacking his books, making his bed and putting his clothes away. He was just about to start on the small desk in the corner when he heard the sort open down the hall. 

He grinned and pushed his glasses back up his nose, his smile faltering slightly when he saw there was a kid in the living room, his parents trailing behind and fussing over him as they dropped their boxes. He couldn't be more than 18. Clark had been sure the dorm adviser had told him that his wing was only for grad students. And for a moment his heart stopped thinking about having to repack all of his things. “Hey!” he offered anyway reaching a hand out for the kid to shake. He took it eagerly and shook it fast, “I was just starting to think no one was going to show up.” He told him, “I'm Clark.” 

“Barry.” the kid told him and Clark had remembered reading his name on the sheet. He must be some kind of genius. His parents came over after and shook his hand as well, his mother lingering a little too long as she gave him the up down. “Any room okay?” he asked looking down the hall. 

Clark shook his head. “I'm afraid we were beat here.” He told him. The first room and the living room had all been set up when he had gotten there even if the dorm had been empty. “I took the room down the hall, the middle is all you.” Barry grinned. He had seen the floor plan, he knew it was the biggest one and he rushed toward it so fast that if Clark had blinked he would have missed it. “You have any more boxes in the car?” He asked Barry's father who looked at him gratefully. 

“Loads.” He told him already looking exhausted and Clark followed him out with a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. It was always hardest for the parents.

**\---**

Lucius was looking at him. he finished with the engine he had been tinkering with and wiped his hands on his pants as he straightened. The man winced and then rolled his eyes when he caught the smirk on his face. “This is the last day I have you?”

Bruce nodded. Classes started next week but his internship ended to give the students who needed to travel time to get to school. It felt weird interning at a building with his name on it, but his parent's will had been insistent. His mother was a stickler for earning people's respect. Or at least that was what he'd been told. 

“I hear you're back in the dorms this year?” Lucius asked. 

Bruce sighed. Alfred was gossiping again. Lucius was grinning at him. “They didn't have any houses available. It was either this or commute every day. I don't do mornings.” he leaned against the engine block. “Do you have something for me? Or did you want to see my face one last time?” 

Lucius scoffed and handed him a set of blueprints. “Consider this your homework. I want a more cost effective product by the time you come back.” He spread out the pages on the table, clearing a few empty cups and a wrench as he did. 

**-**

“Why is there a twelve year old on my couch?” 

The aforementioned twelve year old jerked. “I'm seventeen. Not twelve.” his voice cracked and Bruce scoffed sending him into a buzzing frenzy. “That was a surprise, I swear!”

“Grad school at twelve? You must be some kind of genius?” Bruce said looking him over as he fell down on the couch next to him, making himself at home. 

“Seventeen. And yes. I'm advanced. Physics mostly, although I am also a pretty skilled runner.” Bruce raised an eyebrow in question and the kid shrugged mumbling, “Bullies.” 

“Well let me know if anyone needs their ass kicked. You're under my protection now, roomie.” 

“Under your protection? Are you some mob boss?” 

“Multi-billionaire.”

He watched the kid laugh, clutching his stomach. “Oh man. You are hilarious. Want some pizza?” He pushed at the box on the table with his foot. “My parents bought it before they left.” He grabbed one of the last two slices left. “I have a high metabolism.”

“I'm Bruce.” He said after finishing his slice, the kid had snuck the last one a few seconds later. 

“Barry. Allen. Barry Allen.” The kid fumbled over his name. 

Bruce grinned, “Smooth 007. Have you met the other guy?” He motioned toward the last room, the door was cracked open and he could see a few empty boxes sitting by the door. 

“Oh yeah. Clark is awesome. He helped me move in. He said something about going out to dinner. You just missed him actually.” 

**-**

Bruce missed him for the rest of the weekend too. That was mostly because Alfred called him back to the manor for an event he'd thought he canceled. It wasn't until Monday night after his last class that he finally met the mysterious Clark. The guy was moving the couch while Barry flit around the room moving the smaller things. 

“You play football?” He couldn't help but ask. Clark dropped the couch to the floor with a hollow thump. Barry waved and set the lamp down. 

“No?” 

“Are you not sure if you play football?” He grabbed a slice of the pizza hanging precariously on one of the side tables. Giving a thumbs up to Barry. The kid had the weirdest tastes in toppings, but they somehow worked. He got board of the question before Clark answered and headed to his room. “Don't break my TV,” he called over his shoulder.

**-**

“Clark is a journalism major. He works at the Daily Planet.” Barry was stirring some sauce at the stove when he walked into the kitchen. He'd been up late with the prototype Lucius had given him. “He doesn't play football.” Barry looked over his shoulder at him. It felt like he was getting reprimanded, but he didn't know why. 

“I was going to have a friend over tonight. Do you mind?” He asked. 

“No. You gonna play video games?”

Bruce chuckled and took his coffee back into his room. 

**-**

Barry stared at Selina as she looked around their living room. She was in a tight black dress, backless and low cut enough that Bruce couldn't stop thinking about how easy it would be to get her out of it. Barry seemed to be thinking the same thing. “This is nicer than my dorm last year.” She ran her finger along the top of the tv. “Boys.” She finished her inspection and turned to him. The barest tilt of her head and he was moving. 

“We're going to play some _games_ in my room. See ya Barry.” That snapped him out of his daze and he yelled at him through the closed door. 

**-**

“I have work. Your other roommate is in the kitchen, he didn't seem happy to see me,” Selina pouted. Bruce stole a kiss and she swatted him. “Uh uh. None of that. I have to go.” She pulled her dress back on and slid out the door. 

He sighed. The last time she had warned him about a roommate he'd been moved that week. He didn't want to move again, to chance getting some hole in the wall where you say hello to the roaches. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a Gotham PD shirt that he normally slept in if it got too cold. 

Clark, the not football player, was eating a stack of pancakes. His focus on the syrup drenched monstrosities increased when he heard his footsteps. 

“Morning,” Bruce offered, pouring a cup of coffee. He'd been wondering who made the coffee. He should have known it wasn't Barry. The kid practically vibrated if he sat still too long, he had no use for the delicious caffeine filled nectar of the gods. He glanced up and Clark was staring at him. He took a sip. “Did you want some?” 

“I'm good.”

“Hey, I'm sorry I didn't check with you if she could come over. I asked Barry, didn't get the chance.”

Clark cut his pancakes and focused on swirling it in the river of syrup on his plate. Bruce wanted to throw a bowl of strawberries at him. “I was just surprised. I didn't mean to be rude.” He seemed genuinely sorry for whatever wrong he thought he'd done.

Bruce waved him off. “Just be cool next time.” he grabbed the pack of strawberries from the fridge just because he could and headed back to his room. 

Clark tried not to roll his eyes at the words and nodded to his mug. “Sure,” he agreed mostly so that he would have something to say. If Bruce noticed he didn’t say anything about it as he went back to his room and shut himself in. Clark didn’t know that he wasn’t being _cool_. He was sure that he could be _cool_ , if he knew how he wasn’t being _cool_ in the first place. 

Not that he cared. 

He drank more coffee, forcing pep into his veins one gulp at a time as he scrubbed the dishes clean and put them away, putting off the piles of articles he had to proof before his afternoon classes. He dragged his feet all the way back to his room and left the door open, welcoming distraction to come and stop him- which of course, it didn’t, and crack his beast of a laptop open. His mother had given it to him as a high school graduation present and it had been old as dirt then. Nearly as big as a desktop computer, it was too big to tote to his classes- but that was fine by Clark, who preferred to hand-write his notes. There was nothing wrong with it and he just couldn’t find a reason why it should be replaced. 

He just barely got the email sent off to the editor before he had to rush out the door waving to Barry where he sat at the kitchen table messing with something that looked like a fungus. Clark made a note to bleach that table when he got home and rushed off to left campus. 

His first lecture was fairly lame, but his hand still hurt when he left the hall, rubbing out his palm unable to remember that last time he had written so much. His next lecture was a few buildings down and, with the caffeine from this morning already wearing off, he had just enough time to stop at the cart in front of the building to grab a cup of coffee. Still he got a small cup to be safe. “You are going to drink that in one swallow.” He jumped at the familiar voice. 

Diana was grinned at him through the cracks in the cart and he beamed at her, rushed to the other side to spin her into a bear hug. “What are you doing here?” Clark demanded when he put her back down. 

“I have one last class before they let me graduate.” She told him moodily, “This was the only time offered, so-” she held her hands out and did a little spin. He smirked and she play punched his arm. “Why are you here?” she asked, “I saw you walk the stage.” 

“Grad School.” He said grimly. 

She looked like she was about to offer him condolences when a thought flitted across her face and she jumped. “Does this mean you will be my model again?”

Clark frown remembering just how embarrassing it had been when Diana's roommate had walked in seeing him sitting on a stool in his underwear. “Do I have to?” he asked. 

**-**

He got home after dark exhausted and still a little red faced from sitting for so long on a stool while Diana examined every exposed bit of him. He fumbled with his keys still not used to the newest addition and pushed into the room only to hear a high pitched moan that hitched when the door hit the wall and he was stuck staring at a very naked Bruce with a very naked woman on the couch. Bruce glared at him and Clark's hand shot up to cover his eyes, fumbling for the door as a deep blush spread up his neck. “Fuck sorry.” He gasped out and swung the door shut behind him, tripping as he rushed down the hall to his room. 

He shut the door hard and fell into it, sliding down the door as he stared at the ceiling in horror. He wished he hadn't seen that. It was one thing to walk in on your roommate naked but to see him like… that. Clark swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut, his stomach warm and churning. That was definitely _not_ cool.

**\---**

Clark didn't look at Bruce for a week, but their schedules were so opposite he was almost positive that Bruce didn't notice. At least if he did, Clark didn’t notice until the Thursday a week and a half later when he was making coffee and chatting with Barry about some new compound he was messing with in his chemistry lab. Bruce plopped down on one of the stools at the counter and stared at the two of them like he was in his own personal hell. “How are you two so awake right now?” he demanded.

Barry shrugged with a grin, “All my classes are pretty early. I’m adapting.” he smiled into the mug that Clark had given him and make a face when he took a drink of the sugarless mix. 

Clark passed a mug to Bruce too who drank from it without complaint and watched him as he added milk to his and looked down at his watch. “What about you, Football?” he asked and Clark tried his best not to glare at the name. 

“I grew up on a farm, we wake up early.” he told him and Barry perked at the idea while Bruce choked on his coffee. 

“Are you serious?” he asked after coughing up the liquid he’d managed to breath in. 

“Yes.” Clark rolled his eyes and sighed, “Is that hard to believe?” 

“It is when you are dressed like that.” Bruce told him looking Clark up and down. He had to take a drink and turn back to the coffee maker to cover the small flush he felt creeping up his neck- mind flicking back to what he had walked in on. Clark was dressed smarter than he had been since they had moved in. He had on a pair of decent denim jeans and a white button up that he had tucked in with a leather belt, his sleeves rolled carefully up to the elbow and he had actually managed to take the time to do something with his hair. 

“I have a meeting at the Planet.” he told him. A meeting that he was dreading. It was a monthly assignment meeting that he was always required to go to even though he never got assigned anything. He was just there to listen and be ignored and that was exactly why he was here trying to become someone they couldn’t push aside. He looked at his watch again and drank his coffee down fast, “Speaking of which,” he told them rinsing his cup, “I’m going to be late.” 

He grabbed his bag from off the back of the chair that Bruce was sitting in and tried to ignore the warmth of his back when his knuckles brushed it. “See you guys.” he offered a small wave and prepared himself to doodle for a two hour while he watched all of his friends get handed everything he wanted.

**-**

Harley and Barry were shoving each other as they played Mario Cart. Bruce was braiding Ivy’s hair. She'd sat between his legs and said ‘braid,’ so he was braiding. Once he finished a strand she shook it loose and he started over. Barry had told him Clark was out to dinner with a friend. That had been an hour ago, his fingers were getting tired. He told Ivy as much when she shook out another braid. She looked over her shoulder with a dark expression. “Well then you'll just have to use something else later. Braid.” 

He was halfway done when the doorknob rattled. Barry cheered when Harley froze and her cart flew off the edge of Rainbow Road. Clark walked in and Harley let out a low whistle. She looked back at Ivy with pure glee. Bruce wished he could see Ivy's expression, but he looked to Clark instead. He was wearing the same jeans and shirt he'd been wearing that morning, but the cuffs had been unrolled and shoved up messily at his elbows. His top few buttons were undone and he could see just a touch of chest hair. It looked like someone had been running their fingers through his hair for hours. Bruce moved Ivy's hair off of her neck to distract himself when he was suddenly filled with the desire to know if Clark's hair was as soft as it looked. 

He met Clark's eyes and realized that he'd been caught checking him out. A fierce blush flashed across his skin and Harley bounced and clapped. 

“Hi, I'm Harley. This is-” 

“Pamela, but you can call my Ivy.” She extended a perfectly manicured hand and Clark took it after staring for a second. His hand dwarfed hers. “Do you want to join us?” Bruce could hear the double entendre oozing from her question.

“Yeah! Clark. Come play,” Barry added, completely unaware of what was going on two feet behind him. 

Clark pulled his hand from Ivy's. “Let me change,” he said after a long second, eyes flicking between all the people in the room. 

Harley looked ready to volunteer to help him, but Barry nudged her and restarted the level. She pouted but started declaring her revenge victory. 

“You've noticed now,” Ivy cooed softly, rolling her hips against Bruce. He went back to braiding her hair without replying. 

Clark took his time throwing a pair of sweatpants on and an old baseball shirt he had gotten in high school that had _‘Smallville High_ across the front of it and his old number on the back. It was a little too tight but he figured that the group in the living room wouldn't care. He wasn't sure if they were high or drunk or weird, and he didn't really care. He walked back into the living room with four sets of eyes trained on him and forced an smile. “What are we playing?” he asked awkwardly. 

He wanted to kiss Barry when he jumped into explain Mario Kart to him as he tried to ignore Harley sitting behind him, running her hands over his shoulders and whispering to Ivy and giggling every few minutes. He looked at Bruce but he just avoided Clark’s eyes and focused on braiding Ivy’s hair. “So Clark,” Ivy started making him jump as she traced a finger up his forearm and Barry cheered as his cart passed his. “What do you do?” 

He cleared his throat and focused on the game. “I'm a copy editor for the Daily Planet.” He told her regaining his lead. 

“So you're a writer?” Harley asked delighted. 

“I would really like to be.” Clark answered earnestly. “That's why I came back here, if you don't have experience they want a bigger degree.” He shrugged not wanting to freak them out with how much he wanted it. 

“And what do you want to write?” Ivy asked. 

He looked at her figuring that he had already lost the game anyway. Bruce was looking at him too, but went back to Ivy’s hair when he caught him staring. Clark tried not to be embarrassed about it. “Political pieces,” he told her. “Things that matter. Things that most people skip over because it's too boring.” He grinned and both of the girls laughed at him. He jumped when Harley ran one of her hands through his hair and looked up at her. 

“You're hair is so soft.” She said dreamily and looked over at Bruce, “You wanna touch it?” she asked in an almost sinister way when Bruce got up and cracked his knuckles. And asked if anyone wanted a beer. Everyone but Barry agreed, he was too focused on the game. 

The girls stayed for another hour before they decided that it was time to leave, both of them giving Clark eyes before they left telling him that would stop by soon before Bruce pushed them out the door. Clark frowned finally feeling truly uncomfortable as he asked. “Were they… hitting on me?” 

Both Bruce and Barry looked at him like he'd had a major head injury and he felt like an idiot. “Of course they were.” Bruce told him almost annoyed. 

“How did you not notice?” Barry asked. 

Clark shrugged placing his controller on the coffee table. “I'm not good at reading girls.” He said simply like that was a thing that guys said all the time. 

Barry laughed and grinned at him, “What are you, gay?” 

“Well, yeah.” they both stared at him, and Clark- refusing to be awkward about it- got up and heading back down the hall. “I have some editing to do. Night.”

Bruce stared after Clark. Barry was staring too. He nudged him and crossed his legs as he sat next to him. “I don't do rainbow road.” Barry heckled him and they kept playing. 

“The girls are going to be so disappointed.” Barry hummed, but Bruce's eyes were focused on dodging the string of bananas he'd left the lap before.

**-**

Clark jumped when he walked into the kitchen. He was pulling a pie out of the oven and it clanked loudly against the stove top. 

Bruce groaned at the loud noise. The coffee pot was empty. He stared at it in disbelief. There was always coffee. Since day one there had always been coffee waiting when he woke up. “Coffee?” he asked. He couldn't look away. Maybe it would appear, he didn't want to miss it. 

“I ran out. Are you ok? You don't look so-”

He pushed off the encroaching hand and stumbled toward the bathroom. He breathed in the cool air of the toilet for a few seconds while the nausea passed. Once he was sure his stomach wasn't going to climb up his throat and punch him for drinking too much he pushed to his feet. 

Clark was standing just outside the bathroom with a cup of water and Tylenol. He looked up, the lone inch that Clark had on him seemed bigger. _Blue_ , his brain supplied uselessly. Bruce grumbled thanks and took the offered items. 

“I make a pretty good egg sandwich, about all I can manage,” Clark offered heading back to the kitchen. His stomach growled threateningly. 

“How can you be so perfect?” Bruce mumbled to himself as he pressed his head to the cool counter of the island. 

“What was that?” Clark asked over his shoulder but when Bruce stayed quiet he let it go. He pulled out a pan and popped some bread in the toaster as Bruce plopped down on the bar stool on the other side of the counter, watching him with haunted eyes and curiosity. Clark was pretty sure that curiosity was one of the core parts of Bruce’s personality, that’s why he and Barry got along so well. That’s why Clark and Barry got along so well. “You should drink that.” he said nodding at the almost full cup of water that was sitting on the counter in front of him. “A cold glass of water wakes you up more than coffee. That’s why you should only drink faucet water before bed. It can keep you up for hours.” he was rambling. He went back to his eggs.

They sat in silence until the toast popped up and Clark grabbed them quick and put them on a plate before it burned him. “Butter?” he asked. 

Bruce answered with a question, “Are you always this nice?” a deadpanned at him. 

Clark frown. “What do you mean?”

“Are you always this nice?” he said again. “Like to everyone. Even people like me, that you don’t even like.” 

Clark pulled the butter out of the fridge and rummaged through the drawer next to the stove for a butter knife. “I don’t not like you.” He told him and Bruce raised an eyebrow at him. “I don’t!” he swore, “I just don't really know you.” told him and flopped the fried egg onto the bread before turning the burner up and adding bacon to the pan. 

“That’s fair.” Bruce said after a minute watching him cook with his head in his hands. He sipped at the water. 

That seemed as good an invitation as Clark was going to get. “Where are you from?” he asked turning the bacon with a fork. 

“Gotham.” Bruce told him, and then seemed to change his mind. “Right outside of Gotham, but still Gotham pretty much.” 

“Do you like it there?” 

Does anyone like Gotham?” he asked, and when Clark made a face at him he admitted, “Yeah.” He shrugged and accepted the sandwich that Clark set in front of him. Clark went back to the stove to start on his own. “It’s home.” 

“What does your family do?” he asked. Bruce didn’t answer he just chewed and stared at his sandwich like it could make him disappear. “My family farms.” Clark continued easily like he had never asked. “Corn mostly. When I was little they told me they grew me in the yard- I was adopted. They found me wandering around alone in the field when I was two. I believed them until I was twelve when my friend Chloe told me about sex.”

Bruce's eyebrow twitched and Clark gaped at him. “Was that you laughing?” he narrowed his eyes at him. 

“I laugh.” 

Clark fluttered his eyebrows at him and Bruce rolled his eyes and took another bite. He wasn't sure if it was his stomach or what, but it had to be the best sandwich he'd ever had. It was probably his stomach. Alfred would kill him if Bruce admitted to preferring this. He finished it and looked at the stove. It hadn't seemed that hard. He could probably manage. Clark was already dropping another egg into the pan. He stared, memorizing the steps Clark took. He doubted he'd be able to copy him. He had watched Alfred for years and failed at even the simplest thing. He'd given up when he'd caught a pot of ramen on fire his freshman year. Clark grabbed his empty plate and slid it back with the second sandwich. He hesitated for a second before taking another bite. “Thank you,” he mumbled to the sandwich. He could practically feel Alfred flinching at his poor manners. “You can't grow corn anywhere around here.” Clark smiled at him. He took another bite quickly. That smile. 

“I'm from Kansas. Smallville. I've heard every joke there is, so don't try.” He finished the sandwich, stomach finally settling. 

“And I'm supposed to believe you grew up in Smallville, Kansas, looking like that, and never played football.” Clark leaned back against the counter. 

“Looking like what?” his arms crossed against his chest. 

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “You may have fooled the girls with your ‘aw shucks are you hitting on me’ routine, but I don't believe it for a second.” 

Clark smirked for a fraction of a second before it shifted into his blinding smile. “Aw shucks, you've caught me.” 

Bruce pushed away from the counter as Clark laughed. “Whatever Football.”


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Bruce pulled on his tuxedo jacket and smoothed the collar. It was his mother's birthday. The foundation was hosting a gala in her honor like they did every year. He smiled at his reflection, trying to remember her voice as she fiddled with his tie. His smile dropped when he couldn't. He straightened his tie and grabbed his keys off his desk and stepped out of his room. Barry cut off mid word. He brushed his hair back and looked to the pair sitting on the couch. Barry pulled at the string on his hoodie. He took in Clark who was draped over the recliner in his boxers and a torn MU shirt. Clark's eyes took their time as they looked him over.

Bruce looked to Barry before Clark found out he'd been watching him check him out. “Don't wait up.”

“Are you a spy?” Barry shouted after him. 

**-**

“Bruce Wayne?” he looked up from his phone. 

“Talia?” he stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded. When she started to smile at him, he climbed to his feet. He'd made his rounds, but had spent the last half hour hiding out in the corner of a balcony. Every one of their guests had a story about his mother they wanted to tell him, or the ones who had known her closely looked at Bruce in pity. It had been too much. 

“You have grown.” she straightened his lapels as he buttoned his jacket. When they had last met he'd been looking up to her. 

“As have you,” he followed the lines of her dress appreciatively. 

“I was supposed to fetch you for my father.” she grinned when he made a face. Ras was an acquired taste, according to every person who had ever met him. He just didn't have the energy to spare to fake the pleasant look the senior Al Ghul would expect. “We could stay out here. The night is beautiful.” she looked out over the grounds. The Gotham skyline sparkled at the edge of the land. He relaxed against the railing beside her. Talia knew him better than most of his companions. They had been friends before his parents had died. She'd been around when he was growing up and had seen him through some of his worst moments. He'd always appreciated the ability to relax around her. There was just one thing she didn't know, that she couldn't know. 

“What are you doing now?” Talia asked. Bruce turned to focus on her. He studied her profile, searching for the girl he'd known in the woman before him. 

“I'm in graduate school.” She gave him an odd look. “You can never learn too much.” No one outside of the company knew about the will. Even though he trusted her, his company and its future came first. He had no doubt that her father would try to exploit their minute weakness while he could. She hummed and moved her hair over her shoulder as she looked up at him. “And you?” he asked, eyes following her fingers as it moved through her curls. 

“I have been working with my father.” She looked proud. She had every right. The Al Ghul family was wildly traditional. In every aspect of the word. The fact that her father had even considered, let alone actively grooming her to take over spoke to her ability. “Have you been seeing anyone?” he blinked at her. He'd asked her out when they were still in middle school and she'd stomped on his heart. That 13 year old boy was looking at those amber eyes wanting just to be near her. 

“A few people,” he answered honestly. “Nothing too serious.” 

She smiled and looked up at the stars. “Good. I don't feel like competing,” she leaned forward, eyes on his lips. He ducked to meet her in the middle. 

**-**

Talia was resting her chin on his chest as she looked around the room. He could see the confusion. When he had told her he had a place they could go he was pretty sure she had expected one of the hotels in the city, a penthouse down town- not an old dorm room. At the time she hadn't seemed to mind, but in the morning light she looked like she might be regretting the decision. 

“Do you want some breakfast?” he asked. He wanted her to stop judging his room. She nodded and pushed up, wrapping the sheet around her. Bruce pulled on his PD shirt and pulled out a clean MU shirt for her. She held the bottom of the shirt to her bare thighs and looked at him with an unimpressed gaze. He found a pair of boxers that didn't fit him anymore and handed them over. 

“What are we having?” She asked. 

He panicked as he walked out of his room. He couldn't make anything. He'd burn the dorm down and Talia would just purse her lips at him. When he stepped into the kitchen he could have kissed Clark who was making pancakes. Barry was at the counter holding out his plate for more it looked like. Barry looked over. Eyes flicking to Talia before going back to the pancakes. “Do you have enough for two more?” he asked. Clark nodded. 

“Wait two?” that's when Clark looked up from the skillet and saw the woman standing beside him. “Oh.” he watched confusion get hidden and that Midwestern charm replace it. “Yeah. I can make a few more.” Clark waved for them to sit down. Talia eyed their chipped counter suspiciously. 

“I'm Barry.” the boy held out his hand. Talia looked at it for a long second before taking it. 

“Talia Al Ghul. It's a pleasure to meet you.” he could hear her business voice. Barry smiled and went back to his plate. 

“And you are?” She asked holding her hand out to their cook. 

“Clark.” 

“Pleasure,” she said with a warm smile. 

Clark smiled back at her easily and added more batter to the pan, thinking about how lucky he was that he was only expected to cook when it was breakfast. They made small talk about what they were in school for and Talia told them how her and Bruce went to grade school together when they were kids and their parents did business. She talked a lot, not that that was a bad thing. It gave Clark time to watch the way that Bruce watched her. Like she was a prize that he couldn’t believe he’d gotten out of a claw machine. He could understand why, she was gorgeous. He wondered if Bruce knew that he was gorgeous too. 

Clark excused himself for a moment to take a work call and when he came back, everyone had left the table, Barry volunteering to do the dishes. He frowned but left him to it when Barry pushed him off- reminding him that he had class in an hour. He took a quick shower and toweled off sloppily, shoving his toothbrush in his mouth before he opened the door and walked right into Talia and Bruce. “Oh,” she grinned looking him up and down. 

“Sorry.” he mumbled through his toothpaste and rushed to his room to get dressed. He didn’t know what it was, but he had a bad feeling about her. 

**-**

“You’re jealous.” Diana told him over coffee in the cafeteria like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Clark rolled his eyes, “I’m not.” he assured her. “She just seems… slimy. Or something less stupid than slimy, but there is something weird about her that skeeves me out.” 

Diana thought about this for a moment before she asked, “Does Bruce seem happy?” she asked. 

He shrugged. He didn’t really know him well enough to assume that, “Yeah, I think so.” 

“Then let him be.” She told him simply. He could only agree. Besides, he had seen Bruce's dating habits-how permanent was she?

**-**

Very it seemed. 

Talia was in the dorm for the next three nights and the next three weeks after that. Clark and Barry learned to make themselves scarce when they stumbled in on weekend nights- going to the movies or the library, just until the first part of the night was over, then it was safe to come back. At least until they fought. It wasn’t a lot- but when they did fight it was loud. Bruce would storm around and take it out on them, but he usually apologized after and locked himself in his room until it was time for class. Barry wanted an intervention, but Clark was still stuck on what Diana said. Let him be. So he did.

He was leaving his room on Saturday morning when he heard the front door slam and found Bruce sitting on the couch with his head in his hands rubbing his temples like he had one hell of a headache. Clark thought about just walking away, to go and enjoy his Saturday, the first day he had had completely off and to himself for a while, but he couldn’t just pass him by. He cleared his throat and Bruce looked up at him exhausted. “You okay?” Clark asked. 

Bruce just blinked at him and went back to holding his head. Clark nodded. He should drop it. He should just leave this here and duck out while he could. No one would blame him for going about his day like this never happened. They stared at each other for a moment before Clark's good manners ruined him. He sighed and walked over to the couch pulling Bruce up and taking his spot. “Go shower.” He told him pulling out his phone to text Diana, “I'll wait.”

**-**

Diana waved happily on the steps of the museum and gave both Clark and Bruce a kiss on the cheek when they were close enough. “So this is the infamous Bruce.” she grinned stepping back next to Clark and examining him. “Not bad.” she said after a minute and headed into the building, leaving them to follow after her. 

“Infamous?” Bruce asked falling into step next to him. “You talk about me?” 

Clark grinned hopping a few steps ahead of him and turning to walk backwards. “Sometimes.” He admitted with a shrug before he turned back toward Diana, “Keep up slow poke.”

Bruce followed them around the museum. Diana was talking them through the pieces. He watched her go on about a statue. Clark was looking between her and the statue with a fond expression. If Clark hadn't outright said he was gay he would have thought they were a couple. They made a better couple than him and Talia. He zoned out on a pot with a pair of men stabbing each other with spears. They'd been good. At first. But now they seemed to irritate each other more than make each other happy. He couldn't remember the last time Talia had smiled at him. He knew she was busy. He knew her father had not been happy about their relationship, but he hadn't cared. He'd thought she hadn't either. Maybe he'd been wrong. 

“You ok?” Diana asked softly. Bruce looked over. She was tall, almost as tall as him. He suddenly recognized her. 

“You're friends with Selina.”

She seemed surprised by the statement. “I don't know if you'd call us friends. We have mutual friends and interests and happen to do them at the same locations.” He smirked. That sounded like most of Selina’s friends. 

“You stood up to that guy at the Christmas party last year. Gave him a black eye.” Diana stood a little straighter. Her eyes sparkling as she remembered the night. “That was awesome.” She laughed softly. Bruce watched her laugh. 

“You let me follow a tour group?” Clark hissed. He jerked from his study of her face as she turned away to greet her friend. The man in question was pouting, arms crossed over his chest, shirt showing off all of the muscles he had from not playing football. 

Diana waved him forward and he followed after two of the most beautiful people he'd seen. The girls were going to die. He froze. Bruce hadn't talked to any of the girls in almost a month. Selina had replied to his message that he was trying out a relationship with a cat kiss emoji. He could have seen them. He'd hung out with all of them when he'd been dating people before, but they were all part of his life that Talia had no idea about. The part of him that would date the woman gesturing broadly about a display of spoons as quickly as he'd date the man trying to seem interested as he looked at a board of eating utensils. 

His mood darkened. He had to tell her. If they were going to be together he couldn't keep who he was hidden from her. He'd seen the headlines years ago about the discrimination lawsuit against her father. He had to hope that she didn't feel the same as her father did. He listened to Diana and Clark chirp each other uselessly as they finished the tour. 

**-**

Bruce focused on his phone until the letters stopped blurring. The clock didn't tell him anything, numbers there but not making sense. It was late. He knew that much. It had been late when he'd gotten to the bar. Maybe it was so late it was early. Barry woke up early. He shook his head. The kid couldn't even drive. The world tilted suddenly and he gripped his phone tighter. Maybe the douchebag bartender was right and he had had too much to drink. He shot the man in question a glare just for good measure. Alfred wasn't even in the same city, plus Bruce didn't want him seeing him like this. He had put his party days behind him and didn't want to disappoint the only person he had left who thought he was still a good person. He scrolled down and hit the button. 

“Lo,” Clark's voice was groggy. It was late. Too late. 

“Uh. Sorry. Nevermind.”

“Bruce? Why are you calling me? Is it really 3:30?” 

“Go sleep,” that didn't sound right. His tongue was betraying him. For the second time that night. 

“No. You don't sound good. Where are you?” 

Bruce looked around. He didn't know. He'd just walked into the first bar he'd seen and decided to drink it. He handed his phone to the bartender as he walked by. The man shot him a dismissive look but held the phone up to his ear. “Hello?” the man asked. “Yeah. Your buddy is done for the night. Axis, off main and Oak. Yeah, he's good for now.” the man handed him the phone back. He looked at it for a second before putting it to his ear. 

“I'll be right there. Stay there.” he heard a thump and a curse before the call ended. 

He fiddled with the bowl of pretzels the bartender had set in front of him after he put his phone away. He blinked and Talia’s face popped back into his head. He put his head down on the bar and let out a slow breath. He wasn't going to do it. He had been strong when both of his parents were taken from him. He could handle this. 

“Bruce?” he turned his head. Clark was half dressed, a jacket and jeans thrown over the shirt he knew that he slept in, he'd seen it often enough. 

“Hey. What brings you here?” 

Clark frowned. “Come on. Let's go home.” Clark pulled him to his feet and dragged his arm over his shoulder. Clark shoved him through the driver's door of his truck. He flopped into the passenger's side. Clark pulled his seat belt over him. “You okay?” Clark asked while he pulled on his own seat belt. Bruce looked over at him, his stupid caring face. 

“We broke up,” he told the window. Clark made a noise, he couldn't figure out what it meant. He fisted his hand around the seat belt. “She called me Beloved,” he whispered. The car jerked. He looked over, Clark was staring at the wheel. He looked up through the front window. A dog was running down the sidewalk. Clark looked over to him. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

He shook his head. “I thought she loved me.” He met Clark's eyes then looked back out his window. “She called me a monster.” 

“That's harsh. Because you broke up with her?” 

Bruce laughed. It sounded wrong even to him. “She dumped me. In the middle of the restaurant.” 

“Then why’d she?” 

“Oh. I told her I was bisexual. She slapped me called me a monster and stormed out.” he shrugged. “I took that as her breaking it off. Do you think she's right?” 

Clark blinked at Bruce not sure that he head that right. “She hit you because you told her that you were bisexual?” he asked very slowly just to make sure. Bruce didn’t say anything but that was really all of the conformation that Clark needed. Furry spiked up in his stomach and he had to focus very hard on driving for a minute before he let himself talk again. “When I was in highschool, there was this girl, Lana. She was gorgeous and perfect and everyone loved her- and I mean everyone. We were friends.” he sighed, not liking to think too much about her when he could avoid it. He could feel Bruce watching him. “Or she was my friend until she asked me to senior prom. I said yes, we went and had a nice time but at the end of the night she kissed me.” he shrugged. 

“And?” Bruce asked, his voice sounding thick.

“And I didn’t like it.” Clark told him, “And she didn’t like that I didn't like it. She told the entire school that I was gay and made it seem like I was a perverted monster. And, I don’t know if you have ever been to Smallville, but you can’t throw a rock without hitting a neighbor who wants to gossip.” He had been talking fast but he slowed down a little as they got closer to the dorms. “Anyway, the school ended up writing my parents. Apparently being gay in Kansas is something you need to write home about. I hadn’t told them, I hadn’t told anyone- I never got the chance before Lana spread it around.” He parked in front of their building and turned to Bruce who was still watching him. “You know what my parents said?” 

Bruce shook his head and Clark smiled at him, unbuckling his seatbelt. “They said, _what kind of idiot could hate someone as special as you_?” He quoted wiping a stray tear off Bruce’s cheek before he got out of the car and walked around to his side, opening the door. “Let’s get inside. It’s freezing.” 

**-**

He got up early the next morning for his weekly meeting and left the coffee pot full knowing that Bruce would need it when he woke up. He also left a note for Barry to cook something if he had time- he was better at cooking anyway even though it drove Clark crazy. There was a strange lightness in him from last night and even though he had been woken up by the phone call- he felt surprisingly awake. 

“Why are you so perky?” James demanded taking his bag off the seat that he had saved him between him and Lois who also looked like death. 

Clark shrugged and without knowing why he grinned at them. “Must be the coffee.” he offered and left it at that. 

**-**

Bruce spent most of the week at home. It was almost weird to see him studying on the couch next to Barry or reading in the laundry room while he waited for his jeans to dry. It was weird, but he got used to it and eventually they put conversation to it. Talking mostly about useless things or arguing about movies that he had seen that Clark had no interest in. And Clark loved it, the talking and the bantering. He would wait until Bruce got home to head to his room, doing his editing on the couch just to hear him tease him about his computer and he’d wake up early just to make sure that coffee was already made when Bruce got up. And as much as Clark hated himself for it, he couldn’t stop waiting for those small moments. Being around Bruce was the best part of his day. 

“Just be careful.” Diana warned him, frowning at him on the bench at the new museum she had dragged him to, watching a group of kids make fun of the naked men on the statue in front of them. 

“It’s fine.” Clark reassured her. “I know he doesn’t like me like that, I’m not delusional or obsessed- I just… like being around him.” is all he said and then he frown too. 

Diana pat his shoulder and sighed. “I know.” was all she said and then she dropped it.

Bruce didn’t come home on Saturday. Barry had said he was going out with the girls and told him not to wait up. Clark stared at the ceiling most of the night wondering if he would call and hating himself for kind of hoping that he would.

**\---**

“I'm gonna stab her right in the hole where her heart is supposed to be.” Harley was fuming. She had listened to Bruce talk, her eyes watching him like the therapist she would be him as he spoke. When he finished she hugged him tightly then she was off. Ivy held her hand, keeping her from storming off to cause trouble. She looked angry, like he hadn't seen from her.

“Is that why you didn't talk to us for a month?” Selina’s voice was cold. He searched her face and she was mad. Mad at him. He took one of the shots to avoid answering. “We're not just your friends when it's convenient.” she took one of the shots and stormed off. 

Ivy looked at him. “I get it. Harley came home as my friend for two years before I told my family. But don't you ever stop talking to us because of some idiot.” He nodded. She slid another shot over. “Drink.”

**-**

“The Knights are the superior team. You'd know this if you weren't from this god forsaken city.”

“You're from Gotham, crime capital of the world, and Metropolis is God forsaken?” he watched the smile grow. 

“Of course. God forsake Metropolis by giving Gotham the Wayne family,” Bruce watched Lex laugh. It looked real, he'd seen his show-laugh often enough. 

“Care to show me what's so good about the Wayne's?” 

**-**

Bruce wasn't used to being the one waking up in someone else's bed. But that was the point. He had needed a change. The man snoring slightly next to him was a definite change. He slid out of the bed and pulled on his jeans. His phone was somehow still in his pocket, and not yet dead. He ordered a car and found his shirt. He was buttoning it up when Lex rolled over. 

“Leaving already?” 

He nodded. Redoing the buttons Lex had undone. “I have a group meeting. I need to shower and stuff.” He closed his eyes as Lexkissed his neck. He had to go. “I have to go.” Bruce repeated as a reminder to himself. His shirt was unbuttoned and sliding off his shoulders. His phone chirped notifying him that his car was arriving. 

Lex pulled him back. “They'll take care of it.” 

**-**

He did end up showering. In Lex’s oversized shower while getting a pretty nice blow job. It was definitely better than the shower at the dorms that Bruce had to duck to wash his hair in and ran out of hot water if someone else in the building even thought about turning on the faucet. He let the water run over his head. It had been too long since he'd had a really good shower. He groaned, mostly from the water, but the man on his knees didn't need to know that. It didn't seem to matter either. The noise brought an urgency that hadn't been there before and he was gripping the soap shelf and coming down Lex’s throat. 

Bruce made it out of the room the next morning. His phone had died a long time ago, but the staff had no issues calling him a car. The butler's calm tone had him missing Alfred fiercely. It was only a few days before Thanksgiving and he'd get to see him. See him and be relegated to chopping potatoes. It was the only thing the man trusted him with, and after the Turkey Fiasco of 2009, Bruce didn't blame him. 

“Are you just coming home?” Barry was on the couch when he walked in. Doing the walk of shame 48 hours later was a little surreal. Getting caught out by a twelve year old was even worse. He groaned and went to the kitchen. He needed coffee then he could hide out in his room for the rest of the week. 

“Oh hey.” he needed less roommates. Clark was standing at the counter hitting the side of his ancient laptop. He had given up on telling Clark that didn't do any good. Especially when he'd seen it work. Bruce nodded and poured himself a cup of coffee, then he leaned over the counter next to Clark and breathed it in. The smell alone made him feel more human. 

“Are you okay?” Clark asked. He nodded. “Is that a bruise?” Clark touched the back of his neck. Bruce covered the mark and saw the moment when it clicked. Clark blinked a few times at him before turning back to his laptop and clacking away at the keys. He lifted his cup, eyes on the grim look on Clark's face.

**\---**

Clark knew this would happen. Diana would have told him it would happen if he had let her, but he didn't need her to. They were roommates, they were very different people- he knew that it would be a horrible idea. So he got over it. He talked to Bruce a little less as the next two weeks went by, found more reasons to get out of the dorm, and really got into his studies- diving into his first assignment, a fluff price on the Queen family of Star City.

“What is that?” Bruce asked looking over his shoulder after getting home late one night to find Clark still at the table typing away. 

He blinked and pushed his glasses back up his nose and forehead so that he could rub his eyes. “A piece about the Queen family. Apparently Oliver Queen is taking over his father's company and since no one else will cover it, they offered me up.” He tried not to sound annoyed. 

“That's good though, right?” Bruce asked grabbing an apple out of the bowl in the counter and took a bite. “You want to be a reporter- this is reporting.” 

Clark rolled his eyes and smirked at him before he reminded himself not to get distracted by Bruce and looked back at the screen. “It's a party.” He sighed. “One I have to buy a suit and travel for.” 

Bruce grinned. “Who knew you hated parties so much? I would have prepped you if I knew.” He laughed, probably at the thought of Clark awkwardly standing on the wall watching everyone. Clark was not amused. “Just flash your Kansas charm and nod a lot.” He told him heading towards his room. “Besides I bet you look great in a suit.”

**-**

He felt like an idiot. Diana was staring at him as he stood on a little stool in the living room and Barry was sitting in the couch watching them while eating popcorn. Every few minutes Diana would pinch something and pin it and step back again. Bruce walked in on the weird sight and just stared at them for a minute before asking. “What the hell are you doing?” 

Barry shushed him, eyes all for Diana, “She's working.” was all he said. Bruce walked slowly over to the couch, acting it up not to disturb the silence, and sank down next to Barry. He ooohed and awwwwdd quietly as Diana moved until finally she stepped back and smiled. 

“Off,” she told him and Clark stripped obediently and handed the suit over. She took it to the table and Clark sat on the stool in his underwear. Waiting. 

“How long have you been doing this?” Bruce asked them. 

They both shrugged. “An hour?” Clark offered. 

“A little more,” Barry said but he was still watching Diana. 

It only too her a few minutes and then she handed it back to Clark and pushed in towards the bathroom. “We’ll be back.” She told them and then set to work. She dressed him up and pulled at his hair until she tamed it then, finally, pushed his glasses on. “You are done.” She told him happily and pushed him back out into the living room. He felt ridiculous as Diana presented him and they clapped obnoxiously. 

“You look ready for a party.” Bruce told him flashing a heartthrob of a smile. 

Clark merrily wiggled his glasses at him before Diana pushed him out the door reminding him that he was running late.

**-**

The drive wasn't as long as he anticipated and he was happy to see that the party was already booming when he got there so he could just sneak in. He stood to the side and made polite conversation with some of the other press until Oliver Queen stepped onto the staircase to give his speech. Clark wrote what he needed and clapped with the others and after a few more minutes of polite conversation he headed for the exit thinking about how nice it would be to get home and take this stupid suit off. 

“You leaving already?” he turned at the voice and saw Oliver Queen trailing after him, easy smile lighting up his face. 

“Me?” Clark asked confused. 

“You.” He laughed. “I've been waiting to meet you all night.”


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

“Is this Football?” Selina shoved her phone in his face. He looked at the screen. Oliver's Instagram was pulled up. It was Clark. He was smiling and his hands were reaching for the camera. He swiped to see the next. A selfie of them both. Bruce frowned as he read the caption. _“Finally got a shot of the ever elusive boyfriend. #HesRealHal”_ He handed Selina her phone back.

“It's him,” he didn't like the way his voice sounded. He picked up his phone and pointedly didn't look at the women sitting with him. He peeked up to check if they'd gone back to their own phones. They hadn't. 

“Oh my God!” Harley burst out. “You like him.” 

His fingers stopped. Bruce put his phone down. 

“You do.” Selina sounded too pleased. 

“You owe me $20,” Ivy crowed. Harley stuck her tongue out at her then turned to him. 

“Why haven't you asked him out?” Harley leaned forward eyes serious. He looked to Ivy who seemed just as interested in the answer. He didn't bother looking at Selina. It was obvious now that she'd known it was Clark and had wanted to see his reaction. 

“Because he's an idiot who thinks he's not ‘good’ enough.” Selina even threw in air quotes. 

Bruce didn't dispute it, there wasn't any point. Selina had been with him through his party phase, and drunk him had serious filter issues. “You saw his face when he walked in on us. Not the best impression. And that wasn't the only time. Then I got drunk and whined to him about my pathetic break up. Why would he want to date me?” 

He looked to the girls. They all were frowning at him. He honestly hadn't expected them to agree, but they looked angry at his words. 

“You are an idiot,” Ivy said. 

“It's not like it matters now. He's dating Queen.” 

“You like Oliver.” 

He waved his hand at Selina. He did like Oliver. The guy was funny and they had the same views on their cities. Ollie had been one of the main reasons that Bruce had stopped drinking. The Queen heir had nearly died at a party. The only thing that saved him was the fact that one of his staff had come back to get something they left and saw him passed out in the middle of a crowd of people. Hundreds of people around him and no one had bothered to call 911. Bruce was pretty sure Oliver hadn't drank since that night, but was still the life of every party. 

“At least you know he doesn't mind the whole billionaire thing.” Harley pointed out. 

“Queen is a multi-millionaire.” Selina snorted. He shrugged. “What? There is a difference.” 

“Yeah. Maybe to you Rich Boy.” Selina elbowed him. 

He rubbed his ribs and gave her a half hearted smirk. “I haven't met anyone that minded. That's kind of the problem actually.”

“Do you really think Football cares about money?” Selina elbowed him harder. 

“The man who wants to be a reporter to write about ‘boring things that matter’? Yeah. He's in it for the money.” Ivy frowned at him, eyes like flint. 

“I didn't say he was.”

“And for your information we cared about your sorry ass before we found out you owned a city.” Ivy crossed her arms, frown transforming her entire face. 

“Can I just go back to before I put my foot in my mouth? I guess that's a lie anyway. Lex isn't after my money.”

“That's his only perk,” Selina mumbled. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” The girls looked at each other. Ivy shook her head slightly. “Tell me.” They all looked to each other before Selina sighed, she'd lost out on whatever debate they'd just silently had. 

“Lex is awful. You know he is. I don't understand why you're still with him.” 

“Hey. I have fun with him.”

“You have fun with us, and we don't boss you around.”

“Most of the time,” Harley added with a giggle. 

“I don't want serious, he doesn't. He gets it. We grew up the same.” Bruce shrugged trying not to get defensive but they were pushing him.

“You did not. If you wanted someone who was a rich kid like you then why didn't you go date Oliver? At least he'd be nice to you.” Because he was already dating Clark. Fuck. 

“Maybe I don't want ‘nice’ ok? Maybe ‘nice’ isn't for me. I have to go. I'll see you at the Christmas party next week. That is if my fucking boyfriend isn't so awful that you decided you didn't want to come anymore.” He stormed off before they could say anything more. 

**-**

“What's your problem?” he shook his head and looked back at Lex who was frowning at him, half out of his clothes. Bruce couldn't get that picture out of his head. He'd seen Clark smile like that, in the museum when he was watching Diana. Clark really cared about Ollie. Lex pushed at his hip and he rolled over. He closed his eyes at the mouth sucking on his neck. Lex liked leaving marks, high on his neck where he couldn't hide them. Bruce shuddered as Lex pulled his pants down. He shifted to get them off, but Lex pressed a hand on the back of his neck. “Leave it,” he shifted back what little he could with his pants trapping his knees. 

Lex was quick with his fingers. He'd barely gotten used to the first when two were sliding in and a third followed too soon after. He bit down on the pillow. Lex’s voice was a constant chatter in his ear. Telling him how much he liked it. How much he was panting for it. As he slid in burning, just on the wrong side of the pain-pleasure scale, Bruce thought maybe the girls were right. Lex wasn't nice. “You were made for this.” Lex hissed as he pumped harshly into him. 

Bruce came with a whimper. The movement didn't stop and he squirmed, over sensitive but unable to move away. Teeth bit into his shoulder and Lex came with a hard thrust that jolted him toward the headboard. He pulled his pants up as he was let go. Lex fell next to him. Bruce studied his bliss edge out face before turning away and closing his eyes. He didn't want nice.

**\---**

“I like him.” Diana said finally watching Oliver as he laughed at something the barista at the counter said as she went to make their order. He looked over at them as they stared shamelessly and winked before turning back to wait for their coffee. “He's very… charming.” She said staring directly at his ass as she said it.

Clark laughed hard and grinned at her. “He is.” He agreed. “But I'm not sure about,” he waved at his physique, “- _that_ yet.”

She put her hand down hard on the table and looked at him like he was crazy, “You haven't slept with him yet?” she asked under her breath and he shook his head. They had been dating for about a month, maybe a little more, and it just hadn't happened yet. And Oliver wasn't pushy about it so Clark didn't really mind waiting. He was over the whole fucking people just to fuck them thing- not that he had ever really started that phase- but there had been a couple of guy in his early college years. Oliver was over it too. He'd done partying and almost gotten killed. He didn't drink now, and Clark respected that. 

There was a lot to respect about Oliver and a lot more he'd like to get to know. The distance, though, made it a little difficult. They mostly spent weekends together. He had been going to Star City to save him the roommate experience, but Oliver had insisted on coming to see him this time, and Clark didn't argue. He was happy that he wanted to meet his friends and see what his life look like. It made him feel… good. And he hadn't felt like that in a while. 

Diana shook her head at him as Oliver started back with their coffee. “Don't wait too long or I will beat you to it.” She warned him and he placed a very possessive kiss on Oliver's cheek when he took the seat next to him. 

**-**

He spent the day working on another fluff piece that he had been assigned with his feet propped up on Oliver’s lap while he watched some pointless TV show, hands running up and down his legs, distracting Clark with a warm and strong massage. He flexed his feet unwillingly and Oliver squeezed harder, grinning when he glared at him over the top of his glasses. “Keep looking at me like that and see what happens,” Oliver warned him, squeezing his leg again. 

“Is that a threat?” Clark smirked at him typing again. Oliver didn’t answer- but he did take one of his socks off and that was all it took for Clark to push the computer to the side and attack him. 

It started out funny at first, but got more heated when he finally got Oliver’s hands pinned down and saw him looking up at him with dark, hooded eyes. He kissed him hard, Oliver pressing up to meet him with every part of them that could until they heard the lock on the front door click and Clark flew back across the couch- red faced- and picked his laptop back up. 

Bruce walked in suspiciously looking between the two of them and Oliver jumped up to hug him, “Bruce, fucking Wayne?” he asked and Bruce grinned at him elbowing him in the side. “What the hell are you doing here?” 

“Learning. You should try it.” he deadpanned and looked at Clark with a smile that looked forced. “I didn’t know your party had favors.” Clark turned a deeper shade of red and he resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at him like a child.

“You haven’t been to one of my parties in a while.” Oliver reminded him like he had been invited to them all. He probably had. Clark hadn’t thought about it but he was sure that Oliver and Bruce would have run in all the same circles when they were kids. Clark had told both him and Barry briefly he had met someone while he was in the city, but he wondered now if Bruce had known the entire time and didn’t tell him. Oliver let go of Bruce and fell back on the couch. “Keep me company?” he asked pouting, “Boyfriend is being boring.” 

Bruce sat in the chair next to Clark and stole the remote. “Fine. But I choose the movie.” 

**-**

Oliver left the next morning, promising that he would be back in a week to drag him to a horrible society party and watch Diana play dress up with him again. Barry left quickly after that to go see his folks. And then it was just him and his paper in the dorm. He sent in his final draft and looked around his room. He had already cleaned it when Oliver said he was coming up to see him. Clark walked through the rest of the house tidying what he could until everything was in it’s place. He went through the kitchen and frown seeing how bare it was and decide to go to the store. 

It was slow at the small market just off campus and he took his time pulling things out and comparing prices and ingredients. He got lost in the repetitiveness until a familiar voice broke his concentration and he blinked up at Harley smiling at him with a bottle of wine in her hand. “Fancy seeing you here, Football.” she grinned at him and he rolled his eyes. “What are you shopping for?” 

“Supplies.” Clark told her with a shrug and added flour to his basket, “I am currently home alone with no prospects in my future.” 

She looked down at his basket and raised an eyebrow. “So you are baking?” 

He nodded, “I’m baking,” he told her and she jumped delighted. 

**-**

Harley was actually a worse cook than he was. He laughed for twenty minutes when she sent flower flying out of the mixer and into her face, coating her black shirt in a ghostly mess. She spent the rest of the hour sitting on the counter and watching Clark throw everything together, kneading his crust until it stopped flaking. They were both on their second glass of wine when Bruce came home and found them talking about a serial killer documentary that they had both seen recently. He stopped and stared at Harley until he finally said. “What the hell happened to you?” 

“I got kicked out of the kitchen.” she said from her designated place away from the mixer. “And I’m letting a cute boy bake for me.” 

Clark grinned at her and rolled out his first crust. Bruce looked over the counter and watched him as Harley reached up and grabbed a wine glass out of the counter, pouring the newcomer a glass. “Staying in?” Clark asked trying not to sound too hopeful. 

He failed but Bruce didn’t say anything about it he just smirked at him and took the glass from Harley. “I can’t just leave you to the wolves.” 

Bruce drained the glass in one go. Harley’s eyes locked on him. She poured him another, but he knew that was all he was going to get without a fight. 

“What did you do today?” she asked cheerfully, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. 

“I hung out with Lex. I'd hoped to spend the break with him. They're picking up Lena and spending a week in Coast City before the party. Then visiting his mom's family in Paris right after.” He rubbed at his shoulder. The fake smile dropped off Harley’s face and he dropped his hand when he looked at her. 

“Ivy and I could stay?” 

He shook his head. Bruce knew there was a small box in Ivy’s bag waiting for an answer. He wouldn't ruin that. “No. Go. Ivy has been so excited about visiting.”

“Ivy? She gets excited?” Clark shot them a disbelieving look. 

“Very,” they both answered. Harley continued. “Honey. My Ivy is very excitable. You just got to know her buttons.” She looked to Bruce. “Just like this one here. All that work makes the reward so much sweeter.” she smiled sweetly at him, a stark contrast to her words. He looked up. Clark's ears were burning red. Harley didn't seem to notice. She kept talking. 

“Well anyway Clark was just telling me his _ma_ ,” she was teasing Clark. “is coming up to spend the holiday with him. Isn't that sweet?” 

“I can get out of here if you want to spend time with her.” Bruce offered.

“What? No. She wanted to meet you and Barry.” Clark looked offended. Harley looked at him like he'd grown a second head. 

“OK.”

**-**

He messed with his hair in the mirror. Clark's mom was going to be there any minute. He had put on a suit- then caught his reflection in the mirror and had realized how stupid he was being. So Bruce was wearing a nice shirt, jeans and had rolled up his sleeves when he still felt too formal. Clark raised an eyebrow when he walked out of his room. 

“You didn't have to dress up.” Clark was in jeans and a MU shirt. 

He looked at his own shirt. “I'm not.”Clark just laughed. He grumbled and settled next to him on the couch. They watched Kevin from Home Alone grocery shop. “Ma'am, I'm eight years old. You think I would be here *alone*? I don't think so,” he quoted along with the tv. Clark stared at him. “I like Home Alone?” Clark laughed to himself and turned back to the screen. Kevin was climbing to the tree house when the doorbell rang. 

“Hi Ma,” Bruce didn't know why but he hadn't expected her to be so small. Clark wrapped her up in a hug. 

She looked to him when they separated. “You must be Bruce.”

“Yes. Ma’am. It's nice to meet you.” He held his hand out, but she pulled him in for a hug. He stared at Clark with wide eyes. Clark just chuckled and picked up his mom's bags. 

Clarksettled his mom's bag into his room and made his way back out to the living room where his mother was holding Bruce at an arm's length and examining him with her sharp eye. “Does he eat?” she demanded from Clark and Bruce looked like he might actually be afraid of her. It was the cutest thing that he had ever seen. 

He pressed his lips together trying to push his smiled down and shrugged innocently, “Sometimes.” He offered and Bruce glared at him mouthing ‘traitor,’ in his direction as he watched his mom pull him into the kitchen before she busied herself by settling into her kitchen. 

“Please Mrs. Kent- you should be relaxing.” Bruce started.

But she waved a spoon at him, already pulling out a pot. “This is how I relax dear,” she told him happily and gave Clark a sad but proud look that always hurt him more than he could ever let on. “I only get to cook for myself now. You have to indulge me.” She smiled lovingly at him. 

Clark caught his eyes and shrugged. He loved his mom. ‘Let her.’ He mouthed back. “Coffee ma?” he asked knowing that she wouldn't let him do anything else. 

“Oh yes. Thank you son.” She spent the rest of an hour throwing whatever they had together into a meal and joined them at the table with her coffee while it all cooked. She teased him and told Bruce stories about when Clark was a kid, about stupid things that he had done when he was too young to know better and he could have taken a photo of Bruce's face when she finally confirmed that Clark had never played football.

“Are you sure?” Bruce asked still willing her to be wrong. 

“This boy was built all on good food and hard work.” She said patting face proudly and Clark rolled his eyes. “His papa used to say that we built him well.” She looked back at Bruce with a soft face, “You look like you were built well too.” She noted and pinched his cheek when she got up, “There is a whole lot of love tucked in there.” She said before getting up to fix them plates. 

**-**

He was making up the sofa bed when Bruce walked out of the bathroom and hesitated in the doorway, ready for bed but looking like he had something he wanted to say. “Your mom…” he started but stopped just as quickly. 

“Sorry if she said anything… strange.” Clark offered. He wasn't really embarrassed but he knew that his mother could be a lot. “She means well, but she's not great at filtering. “ he admitted throwing a heavy quilt on top of the sheets. 

Bruce grabbed an end and helped him tuck it down, keeping his eyes on the bed. “I like her.” He said after a moment. 

And for whatever reason, that really meant a lot to Clark. A stiffness that he hadn't known was in his shoulder released and he relaxed for the first time in what felt like days. “ She likes you too.” He told him and Bruce blinked up at him. “A lot actually. “ 

He grinned in a boyish way before he managed it back into a smile and finally cleared his throat. “You should grab another blanket.” Bruce told him before slipping back down the hall into his room, leaving Clark alone on the too small couch thinking about how he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. 

Bruce couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled like that. Mrs. Kent had enjoyed embarrassing her son. She'd laughed along with her story of his mishaps and he found himself laughing with her. Clark's face had made him laugh harder. He'd pointed dramatically. “You do laugh!” he then wiggled his eyebrows and Bruce had to cover his mouth when he snorted. Clark burst out laughing. His mom looked at them like they were insane, but she was smiling softly. He'd sobered a little at that look. He hadn't seen it in years. She'd pushed another piece of pie on him when she caught his eyes. He took it, smiling down at the plate. 

His good mood didn't last long. His phone rang at five in the morning. He was woken by the last ring. His hand reaching the phone as it went silent. He blinked at the screen and it came to life in his hand. “Hullo?” he asked still wrapped in sleep. 

“What were you doing?” Lex’s voice was angry and slurred. 

He sighed. “Sleeping.” 

“With who?” 

Bruce ignored the question. “How was your day?” 

“Horrid. Lena's friends are awful.” he listened to Lex go on about the girls. He gave up on sleeping any more. He was awake. “Answer your phone next time.”

“Yeah. Ok. Go to sleep, Lex.”

“Miss you.” Lex murmured. Bruce closed his eyes. He could almost pretend he meant it. “They aren't as good as you.” he frowned covering his eyes with his hand. Lex had been clear that he would do what he wanted. At the time Bruce had been blasé about it. Because he knew that's what Lex wanted, but now in the dark he cared. 

He swallowed and forced himself to respond. “I miss you too. Go to sleep.” He hung up and rolled out of bed. He slipped out of his room and headed for the kitchen, careful not to wake Clark snoring softly on the couch. He was surprised to see Mrs. Kent standing against the counter eyes trained out the window over the sink a large cup in her hands. 

“You couldn't sleep either?” Bruce shrugged. She looked over to him. There was something about her that said she knew something was bothering him. Maybe it was a mom thing. She poured him a cup from the stove. “I wasn't ready for that bitter stuff yet. I made cocoa.” he sipped at the sweet liquid and offered her a half smile. “What's got you up?” she asked. 

He sighed and breathed in the steam. “My boyfriend? He's on the west coast. He forgot about the time difference.” 

She smiled. “It's sweet that he called.” He dropped his eyes and nodded. He knew he couldn't lie to her, so he didn't say anything. “Have you met Clark's sweetheart?” she asked. She gave him a long look as she changed the subject. 

“Ollie? Yeah. We grew up in the same circles. He's a good guy.” he sipped at the hot drink. It had cooled some and he took a bigger drink. His chest thawed a little as he did. “I think he's really going to change Star City.” Mrs Kent listened as Bruce went on about the changes. He caught himself shifting to talk about the future he had envisioned for Gotham. He paused and looked at her. 

“I thought I knew your name,” she smiled knowingly at him. “Clark's not a very good reporter if he hasn't noticed he's living with the heir to one of the biggest companies in the world.” 

He tilted his head in acknowledgment. “No one expects it. Only one roommate in the last 5 years immediately knew who I was. It's why I chose to go here. I wanted to hide a little.” 

“Well your secret is safe with me. Although he's probably going to piece it together soon. My boy's not an idiot.”

“No he's not.” He smiled into his cocoa. 

**-**

Clark dragged him along to the grocery store later that morning. His mom had shoved a list in his hands and pushed them both out the door. Bruce fiddled with the radio as they drove, almost every station was playing Christmas music. He flipped and heard the first few notes and stopped, sitting back as Doris Day started singing. He smiled out the window. He was five all over again. He was supposed to be sleeping, but he wanted to see Santa. His mom's voice was soft as she sang. “I've got to go away,” he leaned in to see his parents dancing in front of the fire. “Baby it's cold outside,” his dad returned tugging her in. She smiled as they swayed and sang together. Alfred had caught him sitting in the doorway watching them. They'd chased him back up to bed. Bruce never did see Santa, but it was one of his favorite memories. He hadn't thought about it in a while. He realized he had been singing along when he heard Clark singing Bing Crosby’s parts. 

“It's my favorite,” Clark said when he caught him staring after the song ended. 

“Mine too,” he said. “It's the only good Christmas song.” 

“All of them are good.” Clark bated him and that sent Bruce off on a rant that kept them bickering thorough the market and all the way back home. Clark started an alternative Christmas playlist that they kept adding to the entire night. It was so horrible but also so great at the same time. Bless his mother for putting up with it for the entire night, even adding to the list, making them both cringe at a punk rock Christmas album that featured a screamo Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas. 

When all the cooking was done and his mom couldn't take anymore she excused herself for bed. Clark cleaned the kitchen and Bruce sat with him, keeping the conversation up and eating chunks of cookie dough when Clark wasn't looking. They watched a movie and when neither of them were tired they watched another one until Christmas came without either of them knowing. 

**-**

He woke up with his head on Bruce's shoulder and his mom gently shaking him awake. Clark moved slowly not to wake him and saw that he mom was dressed to go out and her bags were at the door. “You're leaving?” he asked. 

She smiled sadly and nodded, “Some things came up at the farm.” 

Clark frown trying to look a little more awake. “Is everything okay?” 

“It will be,” she told him waving him off and he got up to take her bags outside. He packed her up and kissed her goodbye but she pulled out a small box before he could get away. “Merry Christmas, Son.” 

Clark opened the small box and felt his throat tighten up. “Ma…” he started but he couldn't finish. 

“He wanted you to have it sooner,” she told him pulling the simple watch out if the box and clicking it on him. “But I had to get it fixed after.” She didn't say what but she didn't have to. He hugged her and told her to call him when she got back to the farm and went back to the dorm where Bruce was just waking up. 

“You okay?” he asked through a yawn when he met him at the counter where he was making coffee. 

Clark wiped his face quickly and threw on a smile, “Yeah, Ma just left. She said to tell you Merry Christmas.” and then he blinked. “Actually hold on.” He told him laughing when Bruce made a pathetic sound at the stopping of the making of the coffee. He grabbed a poorly wrapped box that he’d had under his bed and came back to the kitchen, handing it to Bruce before getting back to the coffee. 

“What is this?” he asked. 

Clark grabbed a couple of mugs out if the cabinet. “A present.” He said over pronouncing it and turned around to watch him. “You open it and find stuff inside of it.” Bruce hesitated and Clark rolled his eyes. “open It, you are killing me.” 

Bruce frown but he pulled off the wrapping paper and pulled out a leather bound book that had seen better days. “Sherlock Holmes?” he asked. 

Clark shrugged, “I've see you read it at least twenty times since we moved in.” He explained, “It's seen better days- but it's a first edition. And check this out,” he stepped forward and opened the cover, pointing to the little scribble at the top. 

“He signed it?” Bruce asked pulling it closer like he didn't believe it was real. 

Clark shrugged. “I can't prove that, but my friend Lois did some research and she swore up and down that it's genuine.” He turned back around to pour the coffee. "I had Diana look at it too."

Bruce stared at the signature then looked up to Clark. His heart was not listening to his head at all. He looked back to the signature. Then up to Clark again. “Give me your laptop.” Clark just looked at him. “I'm not going to destroy it. I have wanted to replace that awful thing since I first saw it, but I know how much you love it for whatever reason. Just let me at least fix it so it'll stop freezing on you.” Clark looked at him for a long second before walking past. “And upgrade like all of the systems.” he mumbled under his breath.

Clark handed the briefcase he liked to pretend was a laptop over, holding it as he studied his face before letting go. 

“Are you ready for tonight?” Bruce asked.

“Yeah. Oliver's going to pick me up around 8.” 

“The girls will be over around then too.” They normally met him at the party, but Selina had insisted they all go together. 

Only the Luthor’s would throw a Christmas Party on the actual day and expect everyone to still attend. Lex called while he was making sandwiches for them. He silenced the ring tone and kept working. Clark had turned on Die Hard and was trying to prove that it met the criteria to be considered a Christmas movie. He managed to stack the leftovers from their dinner the night before and carried the plates out feeling prouder than the simple action probably deserved, after all it had all been Mrs. Kent's cooking. She'd explained that her family always had the big dinner on Christmas Eve so that her mom could have Christmas Day off to enjoy with the kids. She'd continued the tradition. Clark had talked about all the meals he'd made with the leftovers as they watched her cook. 

Clark hummed when he took his first bite. Bruce smiled to his own sandwich. Clark had been worried when he'd tossed the cranberry sauce on the turkey. “For someone who can't even make their own coffee this is a pretty good sandwich.” Clark elbowed him playfully. 

“Hey. I can-”

“You forgot the filter.” 

He grumbled and turned back to the tv. Clark was laughing at him. He could feel him shaking with mirth. His phone started ringing. He glanced at it and silenced the notification, catching Clark looking at the screen. The silence after the screen went black stretched. McClane killed a few more people, and the tension in his shoulders eased when Clark didn't ask. 

When the movie ended he grabbed the plates and headed for the kitchen. Clark was engrossed in choosing their next movie. He pulled out his phone and cleared the 4 missed calls alert. He called Lex and listened to the phone ring. Lex answered after three rings. 

“Merry Christmas!” 

“Merry Christmas?” Bruce replied, surprised by the exuberance. 

“It's good to hear your voice. Can't wait to see you tonight.” 

He relaxed. He'd been expecting an argument over his radio silence the last few days. “You have a good vacation?” 

He listened to Lex tell him about the car his parents bought Lena and the trip they bought him for the two weeks after new years. “What about you?” Lex asked. 

“Oh. Just spent the day at home watching some Christmas movies.” 

**-**

“Damn, Football. You clean up nice.” Selina said from the couch where she was lounging in her black gown. Ivy stuck her head out of the restroom where she was curling her hair. Clark spun slowly and laughed when the girls wolf whistled. 

“Can you tie this for me?” Clark held up the bow tie. “I tried but the video didn't make any sense.” 

Bruce pushed himself up from the floor where Harley had forced him when he'd finished getting dressed. Clark pulled the tie over his neck. He focused on the fabric in his fingers. Clark kept moving, trying to see what he was doing. He flicked his chin with a chuckle. He finished the tie and stepped back, looking Clark over. The doorbell rang and he jumped back to answer it. Oliver smiled as he stepped back to let him in. Selina was giving him a knowing smile. 

**-**

He watched Harley show off her ring and Ivy blushed as she told everyone she could about the proposal. He stood by the bar and watched them. When Ivy had asked him to go with her to pick out a ring he'd been surprised. They'd gone to a few places, but she hadn't seemed to like anything. Bruce had taken her to a jeweler Lucius recommended and he'd customized the ring for her, a band of Ivy and diamonds. He'd seen her face when she'd finally gotten the finished ring, and he'd wanted that. As he watched them spread the good news he felt that desire grow. 

“Have you been hiding?” Lex wrapped him up in a hug from behind. 

Bruce tapped his hands. As much of a return of the hug that he could manage. “Just been mingling.” 

Lex settled next to him, still for once in the crowd. They people watched for a while before Lex caught sight of someone and pulled him over. Bruce caught Selina's eyes as he walked past her. She rolled them and he frowned at her. 

He waved to Lena, it had been awhile since he'd last seen her, while Lex stopped talking to one of his father's friends and pulled him out of the room. Lena waved after him with a shrug. He heard Lionel’s voice for a second when they walked into another room but Lex called out to another friend down the hall. By the time they ran into Oliver he was convinced that Lex was keeping him from seeing his family. Lex kept walking past Oliver, like he hadn't noticed him but Bruce needed a break. 

“Oliver, hey,” he grabbed Lex’s arm. 

“Hey Bruce. Lexy? Is that really you?”

“Queen.” Lex smiled, eyes dark. Bruce didn't like that look. 

“Hey!” Clark walked up with a pair of glasses in his hands, handing one to Oliver who smiled at him. 

Bruce spoke quickly, looking away from them, “This is my roommate Clark. Clark. Lex.” Lex looked over to him before shaking Clark's hand. Lex and Oliver talked about their companies. Oliver lording his CEO title over Lex whose father had stuck him in Research and Development. Clark listened to the two talk, his eyes darting began the two. Bruce could see the journalist in him pulling the kernel of truth from the fluff. 

The conversation shifted to their dates without him noticing and Lex grabbed the back of his neck.“Hey you want to swap?” Bruce didn't dare look at Clark. Oliver frowned his eyes flicking between them. Lex’s fingers tightened on the back of his neck when he tried to move away. “I'm basically done with this one. You should try him out. He's a good fuck hole and doesn't complain about anything you do to him.” He froze. 

Clark could feel Oliver tense under his hand and let it fall to his side. Lex had to be joking. Badly. But no one would actually...Clark looked at Bruce waiting for him to laugh or roll his eyes, to see if this was all just some stupid prank. But it was so much worse than that. Bruce wouldn't even look at him- and the way he was holding himself together was all it too for Clark's blood to pump in his ears and his fist to ball at his side. 

He had never been in a fight before. No one ever believed him when he said that but it was true. He had always been picked on for who he was, but Clark had been too big for people to willingly attack him and he had never been the violent type. He felt his knuckle crack as it collided with Lex’s face but the sound he heard was the man's nose. He stumbled backwards cursing as Clark held his throbbing hand, too angry to be surprised at himself but everyone else was plenty surprised for him. “You idiot.” Lex growled and ran at him, giving Clark a good sharp rap to the right if his face but they were being held apart before anyone could get another hit. 

Clark tugged at the arms holding him back, ignoring Oliver's pleading eyes for him to calm down from where he was barely pulling Lex away from him. “He's a person.” Clark growled at him. “A really great one. Not just someone you for you to fuck around with, you condescending-”

“That enough honey,” Ivy and Harley had walked up to their group and she placed a hand on Clark's shoulder as she glared at Lex. 

Harley spoke to Oliver, “You should get him to the hospital.” she told him, “Before they can't fix his face.” she smirked and came to stand next to them, “We'll take care of Boyfriend.” she promised and after Oliver looked between them and when he decided they would get him home, he dragged Lex off towards the entrance. 

It took a minute for the party to cave back in on itself, everyone talking excitedly about what they had just seen and throwing glances in their direction. Clark hadn't known that it was Bruce who had been holding him back until he finally let go- looking at him like they had never really met him before. “Can we go?” he asked Bruce suddenly needing to be as far away from there as possible. 

“You're bleeding.” Ivy pointed out, grabbing him by his wrist to avoid the swelling hand and pulling him forward. She took out a handkerchief from her purse and handed it to him but he didn't press it to his split eyebrow until they got to the car.

The ride home was silent. He held the handkerchief to his eye but it was already soaked. No one was looking at him, but he couldn't stop stairing at Bruce. He wondered how long Lex had been treating him like that. How long had this gone on before anyone had done anything about it? Harley pulled him out of the car when they got back to the dorm and once they were inside no one could stop talking. 

“I can't believe you did that!” Harley squealed, pulling Clark to the couch and forcing him to sit down while Bruce and Ivy gathered the first aid kit. “That was one of the coolest things I have ever seen.” she grinned and pulled the bloody cloth away. “Oh jeez. You might actually need stitches.” 

Clark thought about seeing Lex in the emergency room and shook his head. That last thing he needed was to get arrested tonight. He had probably earned himself a lawsuit anyway. “I don't think I should tempt fate tonight.” He grumbled. 

“I can do it.” Ivy said come back into the room, supplies in hand. “If you trust me?” Clark nodded and Bruce came back with a pack of ice wrapped in a cloth towel. He placed it every carefully on Clark's hand and then Ivy laid him back. “This isn't going to feel very good.” she warned him. He nodded his okay again and he grit his teeth when she poured out the alcohol onto it and clutched at Bruce's hand hard to keep from shouting when the needle poked through.

Bruce stared at Clark as Ivy worked. Clark's eyes were closed and his hand tightened as the string pulled through with each pass. Harley kept up a useless babble. Her voice calming them all down as she retold the story from what she'd seen. The door flew open as Ivy was wiping off the cut. She was almost finished. Selina stumbled in with her hands full of their coats. She dropped it on the floor and looked at him. “Come with me.” He pulled his hand free, handing Clark over to Harley. He followed Selina into his bedroom and she shut the door and immediately pulled him into a hug. 

He stood frozen for a moment before burying his face in her shoulder and hugging back. She rubbed at the back of his neck and he let out a noise he wasn't proud of and pulled her closer. “Oliver told me what he said. Why didn't you tell us?” 

He breathed carefully. She let him breathe, hands steady on his neck. “Ivy and Harley are getting married. You don't want a relationship. I am going to be alone. Again.” 

She pulled back after a few minutes. She had tears in her eyes as she looked up at him. “B. You know we're never going to leave you. Remember the plan? We all move into your enormous house. Ivy fixes up your greenhouse, Harley opens her practice in one of your many offices. I fill the house with cats and you come home from saving Gotham to a house full of people that love you.” She smiled. “You're a good person. You deserve someone that can love you like you love them.” She held his face. “You didn't deserve what Lex said or did. Okay?” she stared at him until he nodded. “Now tell me, what did Football do to his face?” 

Bruce chuckled at her outrage and she hugged him again. “He broke Lex’s nose. Lex got in a lucky punch and busted his eyebrow. Ivy should be done with him by now.” He nodded toward the door. 

Selina sighed. “I'm picking the movie. And we're eating the rest of those pies in your kitchen.” 

He sat on the couch and let Harley curl up next to him. She wrapped her hands around his arm and rested her head on his shoulder, humming a silly tune as Selina and Ivy argued over a movie. Clark looked barely awake next to Harley, his eyes drooping lower with each blink. He smiled softly at Clark when the man looked over to him. Clark smiled back briefly wincing and touching his brow. Ivy slapped his hand away as she sat down between him and Harley. Selina curled up in the lounge chair as the movie started. 

**-**

“No. You don't understand. He's pressing assault charges.” 

“He deserved it. I don't regret it.” 

Bruce stood in his doorway listening to Clark and Oliver snap at each other. 

“Clark, just apologize and he'll let it go.” 

“I'm not going to apologize. How can you ask that? You heard what he said.”

“They're just words.” Bruce frowned, his eyes closing. 

“Well I'm glad you can say things you don't mean. I can't. Words mean something. You can't just throw them around.” He heard Clark's footsteps moving out of the kitchen and slipped back into his room. He heard Oliver call after him, then nothing. 

He slipped out and into the kitchen. Clark's bedroom door was shut. He set the laptop on the counter and grabbed the remaining coffee, before retreating to his room. His desk was still a mess of parts. Most of them were scrap, too old or just plain obsolete to be used. The laptop rebooted instantly instead of coming to life like a corpse dragging itself out of the grave. He yawned and crawled back into bed. He hadn't been able sleep, Lex’s words bouncing around in his head until he'd started working just to drown them out. He replayed the conversation he'd just heard as he fell asleep. 

He jerked awake as his door creaked open. He looked up at Clark who was standing in the doorway hand raised like he'd been knocking. And maybe he had. “You okay?” 

Bruce nodded and pushed himself up. “What's up?” 

“You fixed my computer?” 

“Is something not working?” 

“What? No. It's amazing. I just wanted to thank you?” 

He shook his head. “You don't have to. It's the least I could do.”

Clark frown at that, “You don't owe me anything, Bruce.” He told him. And for a minute, Clark wondered what he meant that about. But he didn't care. The book the fight- he hadn't done those things because Bruce couldn't, he did them because Bruce deserved for someone to be in his corner. He changed the subject. “Barry is coming back today, thought we could all hang out.” He offered wanting to get away from the mess his life was turning out to be.

Bruce blinked at him, “What about Oliver?”

Clark tried forced himself to keep smiling. “He left.” 

“I thought he was here through the weekend.”

Clark cleared his throat and shrugged, “He's not… I don't think he'll be back for a while.” Clark admitted looking out the window so that he didn't have to look at Bruce. Not that Clark was very happy with him either but he didn't bring it up. He just couldn't believe that Oliver would tell him to apologize. Clark knew that a lawsuit was nothing to laugh at, especially from a Luthor, but he knew what his actions stood for. He knew what his words would mean- and he wasn't going to let Lex get away with what he had done just because he had the means to do it. And of course Oliver took it as badly as he could have, assuming the worst in everything. 

“Do you like him?” he'd asked Clark, “Is that what this is? Is this all because you have a crush on Bruce?.” 

“Of course I like him.” Clark had bit at him, “He's my friend, Oliver. I don't have to have a crush on someone to defend them. He did not deserve what Lex said and if it was true- how could you expect me to just let that happen?” 

Oliver glared at the ground. “So you are just going to take the hit for this?” he asked finally. He looked sad, and suddenly, Clark understood why. Why Oliver needed the lawsuit to go away, why he needed Clark to apologize and let them get on with things. Oliver had just taken over a company, one with deep ties to Luthorcorp, one that he needed to keep strong. 

Clark swallowed, the tension in his shoulders falling away. He liked Oliver. He liked him _so_ much. He could see himself eventually loving him. But as much as he liked him, Clark knew that he could not lie for him. Not when it meant putting his friend on the line. The thought of hurting Bruce anymore than he had already been hurt was the only thing that kept him straight enough to say. “Yeah, I think I am.” 

Oliver left a few minutes after. 

He looked back to Bruce when he was sure he'd gotten a good hold on himself. He had done this. He had to live with this now and he didn't want to put anything else on the man in front of him. “So common. Call the girls. Don't make me sit on the couch alone to watch Dirty Dancing and mope.” He grinned as he poked fun, maybe a little sadly but he still meant it. 

**-**

“Okay this just isn't fair.” Barry whined as he looked hopelessly around at the his roommates and friends. “You all already know. Will someone just tell me already?” 

“We already did.” Harley shrugged trying to be serious, which was super hard for her. “Diana clipped him,” she nodded to the woman sitting on Clark right and she just shrugged letting free an obnoxious grin. 

Barry pouted and sucked on his soda in anger. They had decided to go bowling when Clark actually threatened to put on Dirty Dancing and Barry had been guessing at his black eye and wrapped knuckles for an hour with no luck. No one had actually talked to each other about not saying anything, they just decided that this would be ultimately better. The fact that they were having a blast coming up with ridiculous stories was just a bonus. 

Bruce sat down in the empty seat next to Clark when he finished his turn and smirked at Barry, “Does he still think it's a bear?” he asked. 

Clark laughed, “If you can call her a bear.” He said nodding to Diana who had stepped up to the lane. 

“How are you gay if you hang out with her all the time?” Ivy asked as Harley cooed at her perfect form. “Seriously, do hot people go around in packs?”

Diana came back just in time to hear that and grinned at Clark, “You know. I thought Clark was trying to ask me out my whole freshman year.” she told them plopping down. “Took me the entire year to realize. He would ask me for help with art all the time and agree to be my model-” 

“Like a naked model?” Harley wiggled her brows and Salina pinched her. 

“Only once.” Clark admitted rolling his eyes and the entire group blinked before they all started demanding to see those sketches. 

**-**

Clark was one the cover of the paper the next day. Not the Daily Planet, thank god, but the tabloids were full of his photo punching Lex right in his stupid face. Barry pushed it across the table to him when he noticed and grimaced as Clark turned green. He worked from home that day. And the next day he called in to the meeting knowing that if he went in he would have to talk to Perry, and he couldn't do that with a black eye. 

He was glad that his glasses made the bruise less noticeable, he went to class and home and hid until a few days had passed and Lois met him coming home. “Lois?” he blinked in surprise and she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the dorm that was blessedly empty. 

“I cannot believe you punched Lex Luther. What the hell were you thinking?” she demanded looking more like his mom than ever. 

He groaned and put on a pot of coffee knowing this wasn't going to be a short talk. “I wasn't thinking.” He told her truthfully, “And I've already gotten this speech from everyone I know, so stop any time.” 

She frown, accepting the coffee when he put it in front of her and finally sighed. “Have the papers come in yet?” she asked. 

He nodded dully, “Yesterday.” They were sitting in his dresser waiting to be addressed. But Clark still needed time with it. For the first time in his life he didn't know what approach he was supposed to take and it made him nauseous. 

“What are you going to do?” she asked so heavily that he felt it was over him too. 

Clark shrugged. “Get the best lawyer I can and try to prove I have good intentions.” 

She reached across the table and squeezed his arm. “You always have good intentions Clark.” she told him and then shook her head with a knowing smile, “I really hope that boy is worth it.” 

He swallowed hard on the too hot coffee, face going red. “He is.”


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

-

There were moments when you looked at Harley and she looked like any other twenty something. She was always laughing and flirting with everyone. But then, she would sit down with you, and suddenly you were with someone wise well beyond her years. That was the version sitting across from Bruce at the table in the park. Her eyes searched his. 

“You remember Jay?” he nodded. 

“You remember how everyone told me that I deserved better?” he nodded. 

“You remember how I nearly died before finally admitting all of you were right?” he didn't respond. 

“I know about shitty boys. I have seen what they can do to you. Now are you going to sit there and let him continue to fuck with your life or are you done?” She propped her chin on her hands in front of her. 

“I'm done,” he said. 

She smiled. “Good. Now I know you don't like talking to me, but if you need to talk to someone, I'm here, and so is the whole counseling department. It's kind of our job to be here for this shit.” she laughed it off, but he knew she was serious. 

“I think I might take Clark's route and punch some things until I feel better?” she shrugged.

**-**

He stood at the front door waiting for an answer. The doorbell had chimed in a classic melody and the butler opened the door and frowned. “Mister Alexander did not tell us he was expecting a guest.” 

“He isn't. I'm here to speak with Lionel.”

“I'll see if he's available.”

“Let him know I'm with Wayne Enterprises.” the man nodded and asked him to step into the foyer. 

A few beats later the man returned asking Bruce to follow him. As he walked into the office the elder Luthor looked him over. He was wearing a Gotham Knights hoodie and a pair of jeans that he wore when he was working, and he knew he just looked like some kid to the man. 

“How can I help you?” 

“I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting yet. Bruce Wayne.” the man barely reacted. “I'm here as a professional courtesy. The friendship our two companies has enjoyed for the last decade will be coming to an end.” 

“What?” 

Bruce had seen the work Luthor had done to get them to where they were. To save his company from being swallowed by the goliath that WE was. “Your son,” he swallowed. “your son has violated the trust we extended.” Luthor’s eyes narrowed. “It has been brought to our attention that he has slandered the Wayne name.” The man looked like he was going to blindly refute the statement. “I was present, as was Mr. Queen. I'm sure if you called him he would confirm this.” 

Lionel deflated slightly, irritation rising in his eyes. In that moment he knew where Lex had learned that ability. “Surely there is a way we can salvage our working relationship.”

“Your son is pursuing a lawsuit against an university student who came to my defense. If the suit was dropped it would show your willingness to correct this wrong.” Luthor studied him. Then he narrowed his gaze and Lionel tilted his head with a smirk. 

“It'll be done by the end of the week.” 

Bruce stepped forward and shook the man's hand. “I look forward to working with you.”

“I dread it,” Lionel said with a chuckle. 

He stepped back. “I'll see myself out.” he paused at the door and turned back to the man. “Your son will never be the CEO you hope he'll be.” Lionel raised an eyebrow as he stepped out. 

Ivy started the car as soon as she saw him walking down the stairs. He slid in and she was tearing down the driveway. Her quiet support was what he had needed on the way in. She grabbed his hand, squeezing it slightly as they pulled back into the main road. 

“I'm proud of you.”

“Felt good to punch a few things.”


	5. Cahpter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

“No, thank you. But why?” Clark asked the attorney on the other end of the phone. The one who called to tell him that his law suit had been dropped before he'd even made it to his first meeting with his lawyer.

“My client would prefer not to release that information.” the man said. “Let's just call it as it is and not push your luck, Alright Mr. Kent?”

He blinked at that and heard the door open in the living room, deciding to head that way, “Well, thank you anyway sir.” He met eyes with Bruce and Ivy as they walked in the door and they stopped seeing that it was important. “I appreciate it.” He hung up before he could say anything else and held out his hands, elation and relief running through him. 

“What is it?” Ivy asked when he didn't say anything right away. 

He shook his head and grinned broadly, “They dropped the lawsuit.” He said and then he laughed. He laughed hard and he rushed over, grabbing Bruce in a hug so hard that he picked him up off the ground and kissed his hard on the cheek. “I have to call my ma.” He told them and rushed back to his room. 

**-**

He went to work the next day and no one stared at him, all of them over last week's news and onto the next big thing. Lois smiled knowingly as he passed by her to his small corner of the office and set back to start on his pile of papers when Perry dropped by. “Kent.” He barked and Clark sat up straight. “You have a minute?” 

He blinked and then nodded, “Yes sir,” he said quickly and followed him back to his office that was covered in paper that had all been cast aside. Perry closed the door and Clark waited awkwardly in the middle of the room not sure if he should sit. 

“Kent, you are smart right?” he asked as he walked slowly back to his desk and Clark took a moment to notice how he was dressed. Shirt stained and untucked, a little wrinkled. He must have been there all night. 

“My mother thinks so.” He offered. 

Perry laughed, “And funny. That's good.” Clark waited, too nervous to laugh and he continued. “You are young Clark. I need a fresh look. Something inspired. Something…” he made a face at all of the papers around him and looked back up at him, “New.” He finished. 

Clark swallowed hard and nodded. “I have something new.” He told him. 

Perry nodded. “Go get it.” 

**-**

The champagne popped loudly as everyone crammed into their dorm cheered and passed around a copy of the Daily Planet displaying Clark's name on the front cover. “I can't fucking believe it!” Harley squealed running up and throwing an arm over his shoulder as she stared at the paper in shock. “Your first front page story and they got your name wrong, Football.” she gasped and everyone cracked up except him. 

“Welcome to the big leagues,” Bruce elbowed him when she let go. 

Clark grinned. “I guess you aren't the famous one anymore,” he told him as though his one article gave him such a burden. 

Bruce blinked at him surprised, “Wait, what-” but the girls were already calling for shots and pulling them out the door.

**-**

“I'm not an idiot,” Clark slurred. Bruce had seen Ivy shove at least 3 shots into the man's hands. Who knew how many the others had forced on him. Although forced didn't feel right, Clark had snatched a drink out of Diana's hand and downed half of it when she'd joined them. 

“You never said anything,” he was stuck on what Clark had said as they were leaving. 

“It's not a big deal. I mean, I've seen you hungover and talking to your eggs. I think all of the sparkle of fame wore off pretty fast.” He stared at Clark as he finished the drink in his hand. He'd never seen Clark drink and Bruce wasn't sure what he expected, but he wasn't that different. “Plus, you didn't seem like you wanted anyone to know.” Harley pulled Clark onto the dance floor and he stared after them. 

“You okay?” Diana asked as she leaned against the bar. 

“He just keeps surprising me.” He glanced at Diana. She was watching him with something in her eyes. Bruce frowned and she looked away. 

“Do you want to dance? Those frat boys keep staring at me,” she nodded across the bar to a group of guys. He scoffed and offered her his hand. She danced closely with him for the first few songs, playing up the lie for the boys. They disappeared and she took a step back, arms still draped over his shoulders. He grinned and she laughed, and they went back to dancing. Selina and Ivy found them a few songs later and they all bounced around together. Harley burst in and practically fell into Ivy. They all whistled as the couple made out. Clark was bright red when he joined them a few seconds after Harley and Diana pulled him into dance with her. 

Bruce was the only one sober when the bar’s lights came on and they started herding people outside. Diana was half carrying Clark who was fading fast. He had Harley on his back and Selina draped on his side as they walked down the street to the car. Ivy was holding Clark's free hand as she talked to Diana softly about something. Bruce hadn't understood a word when they'd been exiting the bar. 

“You're the best,” Harley murmured. She choked him a little, it was probably meant to be a hug. 

He pat her legs where they were wrapped around his waist. “You're not so bad yourself Harls.” 

She shook her head. “No. You're really the best. You're so sad but you still came out with us and had fun. I love you B. Cause you're the best.” she let her head droop on his shoulder. She'd be asleep before they reached the car. 

Getting everyone into the car was an adventure. Finally it was decided that Harley could sleep in Clark's lap in the front seat and the rest could fit in the back. Selina fell asleep against Ivy the moment they turned out of the parking lot. Clark was oddly enough awake. Bruce could feel him watching him as he drove. He focused on the road and not the sparks of blue locked on him from two feet away. 

His girls all fell into his bed. Selina was grumpy from being woken up and shoved him out the door. Clark was standing outside his own door. “I gave Diana my bed.” They looked at each other for a long moment before Clark moved, still not sober in the least, toward the closet where they'd shoved extra blankets. He handed a bundle to Bruce and dropped another on the floor in front of the couch. 

“No. Take the couch,” he whispered. He didn't know why, but it didn't feel right to talk any louder. 

“The floor is more comfortable than that couch,” Clark whispered back shoving his blankets out flat. “Trust me.” Bruce watched Clark settle before pushing the coffee table further out of the way and settling down next to him. 

He woke up when the sun broke through a crack in the shades and stabbed him in the eye. He was warm and wasn't ready to wake up. He pulled his blanket up and snuggled further back into the warmth. His brain knew something was off about that, but wasn't awake enough to care. 

**-**

Bruce smelled amazing. Clack had no idea how it was possible to spend the night on the floor in the clothes that they had been to the club in and still smell so good. He pushed his nose into the fold of his neck instinctively, and the way that Bruce pushed back against him startled him into his right mind again. He stiffened and pulled his face back, very carefully unwinding himself from around him- which was saying something since he had vined his way through Bruce during the night. He grabbed the cushions off of the couch and put them at Bruce’s back so he would have something to lay against and got up, stretching out his back, surprised by just how good he felt considering that he was pretty sure he’d drank a gallon of tequila last night. He smelled coffee and turned towards the kitchen where Selina was leaning against the counter watching him very intently. Clark frown and walked towards her, where she already had a cup made for him. “Comfy last night?” she asked with a smirk. 

He nodded feeling uneasy, out of all of Bruce’s friends, he had always felt the least comfortable around her. He wasn’t exactly sure why, but it always felt like she was judging him- or looking for something wrong with him. He took a drink of his coffee and muttered thanks before he turned around and followed her gaze back to Bruce who was still passed out, now curled around the pillows that Clark had put down. A sudden disappointment hit him and he found himself wishing that he hadn’t moved. He flushed and Selina noticed, he felt her shift her stare to him. “You know, Bruce is a really great guy.” 

“I do know that.” he said back trying not to let on to anything, if there was even anything to let onto. It bothered him that he didn’t know. 

“Do you?” she asked putting her coffee down. 

Clark turned back to look her in the eye, frowning at her, “Of course I know that.” he told her. “I’ve been living with him for half a year, when you spend that much time with someone, you notice things.” and then he frown harder. He didn’t notice anything weird about Lex. But he stopped that thought before it could continue. Bruce was going to be okay and he wouldn’t be seeing him again. 

Her expression changed and then she was frowning at him but there wasn’t any malice there, “I need to tell you something.” she told him and then she grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hall to Bruce’s room where Harley and Ivy were getting dressed. They didn’t bother covering themselves, they knew that Clark didn’t care but he still averted his eyes. Selina grabbed him by his shoulders and sat him on the edge of the bed, making both of the girls dress quicker and come to stand on either side of her. 

Clark blinked at them, “Am I in trouble?” he asked after a second of them all exchanging looks. 

“No.” Ivy told him shortly, offering him as comforting a look as she could give him. He appreciated the effort. 

“We are going to hurry up and get out of here before Bruce wakes up.” Selina told him and Ivy took Harley’s hand and pulled her to the door. She waved at him and he watched them go before coming back to the woman still in front of him. 

“What’s going on?” he asked confused. “Did something happen last night?” he asked. 

Selina sighed and shook her head. “Something happened today.” she told him, “When Bruce was eight his parents were shot in front of him.” she told him quickly like ripping off a bandaid. Clark felt his mouth fall open. That was… that's the most horrible things that he had… Selina continued, “Every year on that day, Bruce goes into a horrible depression that no one can do anything about because he won’t let us near him. He says he doesn’t want our pity and it’s harder that we know…” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She she opened them they were determined. “This year, I am trusting him to you.” 

“What?” This was all coming at him so fast but she didn’t stop. 

She leaned down over him so that her face was inches from his. Clark shifted uncomfortably. “I like you Football. You make good coffee and you are nice to look at. But I am warning you. If you hurt him, if you do anything to make this any worse than it is bound to be for him already- I will end you. I will personally ruin you and you will have no one to blame but yourself.” Then she kissed him on the cheek and followed the girls out. 

Clark sat stunned for a moment trying to get his bearings, but so much information had just been thrown on him that he didn’t know what to do with yet. He had guessed that Bruce’s parents had died. It took everything in him not to look it up and now he was glad that he didn’t. Shot in front of their son… and he had been so young. But this wasn’t the time for him to think about that. Bruce would be up at any second and Clark needed to have a plan. He gave himself one minute. One minute to lock it all up and then he got up, grabbed one of Bruce’s shirts and a jacket and squeezed into it. He stopped in his room and grabbed a flannel, white shirt and jacket of his own and placed them, along with a cup of coffee on the floor in front of Bruce where he settled down. 

Bruce cracked open his eyes and blinked the sleep out, a weird smile slipping out of him as he started to realized what Clark was wearing. “Why are you in my clothes?” he asked, staring at his chest where his shirt was the tightest. 

Clark grinned into his cup and handed Bruce his own clothes. “Because we are going to the movies.” he told him. 

Bruce blinked, “You know that doesn’t make any sense right?” he asked grabbing his own coffee. 

“Of course it does.” Clark rolled his eyes getting up, “We are both too famous now to go out in our normal clothes.” 

“So we are going out as each other?” 

“It's the last thing they will suspect.” he told him as though it were obvious and tossed Bruce his glasses off the counter. “Now get dressed.” 

Bruce put them on while he was washing his mug out, “How blind are you?” he demanded from the living room and Clark snorted.

**-**

The theater was crowded and they ended up in the very back row two seats down from an older couple who grinned at them when Clark sunk down too low, pulling the jacket up to cover his face. “I am seriously going to hit you.” Bruce grumbled pulling him back up awkwardly, looking so amazing in Clark's flannel that he decided he wouldn’t ask for it back later. 

Clark grinned at him and took off his sunglasses, taking the time before the movie to unwrap all of the candy boxes that they got. He had insisted on sour candy but Bruce wanted chocolate and then he wanted gummy bears- so they ended up getting all of them. “You could try a little harder to play along.” he told him shoving a hand full of popcorn in his mouth, “You are no fun.” 

“I’m fun.” he protested. Clark sniffed and Bruce turned towards him, “I am.” he protested louder and then settled looking back to the front of the theater when people started to stare. 

Clark waited for the previews to start and leaned into his ear. “ You _are_ fun.” He told him and he saw Bruce shift a little, leaning back into him. “You are one of my favorite people.” He admitted and leaned back, focusing on the bag of gummie bears.

Brue stared at Clark face heating. He looked away and stole the Gummy bears with a smile. His favorite. The lights dimmed as the green band filled the screen. Clark opened his box of Sour Patch Kids. The first two trailers were sequels to some block buster flicks. He'd seen the first of one of them with Harley and couldn't believe they had made a second. As the third preview started he heard a familiar song. 

“No!” Clark gasped. It was just a teaser, a dramatic figure standing at the mouth of an alley, but he felt like a kid again watching his hero on the tiny box TV in his room after he was already supposed to be asleep. Bruce looked over to Clark and could see the excitement reflected in his eyes. The next trailer started, but Clark had elbowed him and was grinning like a lunatic. 

“I know!” he whispered back. 

The movie was full of action, and was surprisingly funny. Clark laughed at every thing. Bruce caught himself laughing more at Clark's reactions than the movie itself. When the movie ended they stayed seated, Clark was trying to explain how he knew who the real bad guy was the entire time. The plot twist had made no sense, and he told Clark as much. They followed the last few people out still bickering. 

“But did you know they were making a movie?” Clark asked eyes bright. 

“No! It's about time. I used to watch the reruns when I was a kid. Alfred used to get so mad at me when he'd catch me.”

“My pa used to record it. I remember I'd wake up early and try to watch it before school.” Bruce followed Clark to the shops in the mall with the theater. They walked around, Clark pulling random things out to show him. He pulled out a pair of disguise glasses and slid them on Clark's face. They looked ridiculous with his actual glasses on underneath. He had forced Clark to put them on when he'd seen how bad they were. Even if it ruined the disguise. Clark shoved a pair at him and they walked through the rest of the store with them on. Bruce shrugged when they'd looked at everything and headed for the register. He could use them for a Halloween costume next year. Clark protested when he pulled out his wallet. “No. Really,” Clark pleaded. 

“My allowance is more than you make in a week. I saw your check. I can afford a couple five dollar glasses.” Clark frowned. “Plus you paid for everything at the theater.” 

Clark tucked his glasses into his pocket. He popped off the fake nose and put on the glasses as they walked around. The stores were starting to close and they headed out. 

“You want some burritos? Freebirds is right around the corner.” he offered.

“Yeah. But I get to pick what goes on it.” He looked at Clark. “You trust Barry with your pizzas. Can't you trust me with your burritos.

“Fine. But I'm doing you.” Clark closed his mouth abruptly and turned forward. 

They walked in silence the rest of the way to the shop. He studied the menu as Clark ordered. Clark started to say sour cream and he looked to the burrito. He sighed when Clark said nevermind and his burrito remained unsullied. He tossed three proteins and both styles of beans onto the burrito while Clark looked at the mound growing on the tortilla. “Corn salsa and guacamole?” Clark shook his head slightly. “No guac.” he said as the guy grabbed the spoon. He handed him the brick of a burrito and took his after they paid. 

“You know it didn't taste bad, there was just no way I was finishing that. It was like the size of my forearm.” Bruce hadn't gotten so lucky. All the salsas were not mixing well in his stomach. He was still sipping at the water trying to cool his mouth. “Now I know you are a wimp when it comes to spicy food.” 

“It was like half salsa. With no break.”

“That's why I was going to put the sour cream.”

“Ugh. Keep that shit away from me. It only belongs in the trash.” He made fake barf noises as Clark laughed. They reached the car and he oddly didn't want to get in. Getting in meant that the day was over and they'd be going home back to being roommates and not whatever this had been. It felt like it was something more. Clark slid in without pausing and he pulled the door open. 

Clark was setting up the TV, they'd found old episodes online and were going to marathon them until they passed out. He was plugging his phone in. It had died the night before and he'd been too distracted in the morning to bother with it. As he turned it on, just to check if he'd missed anything he saw the alerts for a missed call and a new voicemail. He clicked on the voicemail. “Master Bruce, I wanted to see how you were doing. I know today is a hard day, but remember I will always be here for you. Please call me and let me know you are OK.” 

Bruce sat down on his bed. It was the 30th. How had he forgotten? He stared at the date on his phone. He'd laughed. He'd laughed on the anniversary of his parents’ death. He hit dial. 

“Master Bruce.” Alfred sounded so relieved. He instantly felt worse. 

“I forgot.” he blurted. 

“It's okay. You still called.”

“No I forgot it was today.” Alfred was quiet. He felt like he was on the executioner's block the axe hanging over his head, the silence building up in his head until it would all come crashing down. 

“This is not a bad thing. I think it means you're moving on.” The axe missed and hit the floor before him. “They wouldn't want you to grieve them for the rest of your life. They would want you to be happy.” 

“They wouldn't want me to forget them.” 

“You didn't forget them. You forgot a single day.” He wished Alfred was there in that moment. The man had never been the best with displays of affection, but he knew when it was necessary, and this felt necessary. “Do not beat yourself up about it. Go back to your day. Perhaps you could come for a visit on New Years. I have been preparing for the traditional dinner.” 

He nodded to the empty room. “Sure. I'll see if anyone else can come. I'll see you then.”

“Goodnight Master Bruce.”

“Goodnight Alfred.”

He sat with his phone charging in his hands for a few minutes before walking back out into the living room. Clark was leaning against the arm of the couch. He had his hand in a bowl of microwave popcorn. He looked up when Bruce stepped out. His decision was made then. He sat down and leaned against Clark. He'd never been good at asking for hugs, the girls just seemed to know when he needed it. Clark just lifted his arm and he shifted so he was more comfortably propped against his side. He watched Clark click the play button on the laptop. The title sequence started and he snagged a handful of popcorn.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

They woke up together again. When Bruce had started to nod off, Clark shook him awake and helped him into his room. But by the time that he got settled he was ready to watch another episode so Clark grabbed the laptop and climbed into bed with him on top of the covers. They watched another episode and then another, and by the time that Clark woke up the laptop had died and been pushed to the end of the bed, Bruce spiraled out on his stomach with his face towards him and Clark curled on his side.

He blinked, this time completely aware of his surroundings and just how he had gotten there. His chest tightened as he stared and Bruce's carefree face, free of an expression or emotion in a perpetual state of peace. He was beautiful. Clark had always known that, but looking at him just then he knew that the meaning of that had changed for him. Bruce was still beautiful, but it wasn't only in the vain sense of the term. He was beautiful in the way he moved. In his grace and in the care in which he spoke. He was intelligent and kind and funny and fun and Yes, he was so attractive sometimes that Clark couldn't breathe. 

And maybe Oliver had been right, maybe he hadn't just been protecting his friend when he attacked Lex. Maybe he wasn't trying to defend him or do anything friend-like at all. Maybe this was more than that. Maybe this was something else entirely. 

His hair was sticking to his cheek, held down by a light mist that cover his skin. Clark reached out and gently brushed his hair back off of his face and made a move to get up, but Bruce's hand found his wrist and held him there as his own eyes opened to look at him. And Clark felt It, the tension and terror that froze him in the headlight of those electric eyes. He opened his mouth and shut it again not sure what to say, but Bruce didn't look like he wanted to talk. He was just about to pull at the blankets when someone knocked on the door and they both bolted up. “Breakfast!” Barry shouted and they looked back at each other with an awkward laugh. 

Clark got up, still in the too tight shirt he had stolen from Bruce and ran a hand through his hair. “I should…” He hooked his thumb towards the door. 

Bruce got up too, he had wiggled into just his underwear in the middle of the night and Clark stared up at the ceiling, tripping over a shoe in the process. “Yeah, um…” he heard Bruce start. “I… me too.” and he rushed out the door before he could do something stupid. 

**-**

“I'm going to do something stupid.” He told Harley as she passed him a beer. He hadn't been to a frat party in years, since he had first come to MU- but the girls had insisted that this wasn't a frat party. All grad students, just held in a very frat like manor. The house was crawling with people and everyone was pressed tight against each other, the only difference was that the music was low enough on occasion that you could have a conversation until they started blaring dance songs. 

He was watching Bruce laugh at something Selina said and Diana arguing a weird point that was perfectly normal in her culture. Clark hadn't been able to stop thinking about him in the way that you don't think about your friends and he could hardly keep himself together. Harley followed his gaze and then turned sharply back to him. “What are you thinking?” she demanded. 

“Stupid things.” He said with a nice buzz running ammuck in his mind. 

“Will they have stupid consequences?” she asked slowly grabbing his arm. 

He let out a shaky breath, “I hope so.” He told her and she let go of his arm grinning at him. 

“Go get it, Football.” she told him. 

And he tried. He tried hard for an hour but every time he got close enough to Bruce, someone else would come by and whisk him away. And maybe that was a good thing. By midnight he was tipsy enough to see that this was a stupid idea. Bruce had just come out of a terrible relationship, Clark had just left Oliver. They needed more time, if this was ever going to happen- but everything just felt so much more magical on New Years Eve. 

He wondered up the stairs around midnight looking am for an open bathroom. He squeezed through the crowd and bumped into Bruce who was just stepping out of the bathroom door. They were both a little unstable. “Sorry.” Clark told him, grabbing his shoulder to keep him up. The crowd started counting down around them and they looked around watching everyone pare up, pushing the two of them closer together against the wall. The New Year came and everyone cheered, hugging and kissing all who were around them. He watched Bruce and Bruce watching him, and Clark smiled at the perfectness of the moment and all that had gotten him to exactly where he wanted to be. “Happy New Year, Bruce.” He told him and leaned forward, capturing him mouth with his own for the briefest, too short of time and when he moved to pull back, a firm hand field him in place. The magic passed and his blood spiked and his hand reached for the door knob that he felt pressed into his back. 

They twisted into the room and Clark kicked the door closed behind them. He grabbed Bruce at his knees and pulling him up into his arms, walking him back onto the dresser by the window. His skin was on fire where Bruce's hands ran over his arms and he tasted like salt and tequila. He gripped at Bruce's back pulling him as close as he could get. A firework went off loudly right outside and they startled apart eyes still wild as they looked at each other. Clark was panting, his hand on Bruce's chest as he held himself away from him and forced himself to take a step back. He wasn't drunk, but he could feel blood rushing through his ears. He could see that Bruce _was_ drunk, his eyes glassy as he tried to fit together what had just happened. He couldn't do this. “I'm sorry.” He breathed and helped him off the dresser, his body skidding down against Clark in a way that made his eyes fall shut. “We can't do this.”

Bruce nodded slowly, “Can we go home?” he slurred a full crack down Clark's heart. He wouldn't remember this tomorrow. Maybe it was better that way.

Clark forced a smile, his heart still racing as he put his arm over his shoulders, “Of course.” He told him and lead him out if the room.

**\---**

Bruce woke up tasting death, stumbling into the kitchen and drank half a glass of water. He froze as he lifted the cup to his mouth to finish it. He'd kissed Clark. It had been a damn good kiss too. He retreated to his room. He called Ivy.

“I did something stupid.” 

“What?” Ivy asked, she sounded grumpy. Maybe he'd made the wrong choice. But he knew from experience if she was mad she'd just be more upset if he backed out now that he'd bothered her. 

“I kissed Clark.” 

“I'm going to kill him.” Selina growled. 

“You have me on speaker?” he asked frowning at his own phone for a minute. 

“We're in my car. I didn't expect you to say that? What do you mean you kissed him? When?” Ivy sounded a little less grumpy. 

“Last night.”

“Kill him so hard,” Selina hissed. He heard her grumbled threats. 

“Babe, you left with him… ” Ivy sounded concerned now. 

“No! We didn't. He didn't want to.”

“But you did?” she asked calmly. Bruce didn't like not seeing her face. He should have just waited until he could see her, but he had to tell someone. It kind of felt like a dream and he was afraid he'd lose it if he didn't. 

“Hm?”

“Yeah. You're stupid. Just tell him you want to bone.” Selina said loudly. It sounded like she was talking directly into the mic. He frowned. He didn't though. Well he did. Clark picking up up like it was nothing would definitely be featuring in a few of his longer showers- but he wanted their day before even more. 

“He doesn't want to. He said so." 

“I doubt that. Harley kept making jokes yesterday like she knew something was going on. He probably just didn't want to do it while you were drunk off your ass. Which you were. I have pictures. Lots of pictures.” He knew she was smiling in that way she had that meant nothing but bad for him. 

Selina started laughing about something. He told him he'd see them later and hung up. Ivy had said her piece, there would be no changing her mind. If Bruce disputed it, she'd just repeat it. He sighed and fell back onto his bed. He couldn't do this again. He'd bounced straight from Talia to Lex. He couldn't do it again. Even if this felt different. He'd wanted Clark before he'd even started dating Talia, but he'd felt like an idiot after their break up and he'd been too afraid to say anything then. Too unsure that Clark would even be interested. Then Lex had come along. Lex and his lies that felt like truths. Bruce could still hear his voice. 

“Hey Bruce?” Barry knocked softly. 

“Yeah?” he opened the door. 

“Are we still going to dinner tonight?” 

Bruce raised an eyebrow, then remembered. They'd just gotten back from the party. Barry was up drinking a bottle of sparkling apple juice. He'd insisted he didn't want to go to the party, but he could see his excitement that they were back early. He'd fallen next to Barry, tripping over his own feet and invited him to dinner with his family. Then declared that Clark was going even though he hadn't asked him. He rubbed his face. “Yeah.”

“Awesome!” Barry had been quiet since he got back from visiting his family. He'd make a point to spend more time with him. 

“We'll need to leave around 3.” Barry nodded. 

**-**

Barry looked down at his shirt and jeans then back up at him. “Should I have dressed up?” Clark walked out and did a double take. 

“No, I'll change once we get there. It's a thing.” Bruce frowned. Maybe he should have just gotten a car. The train was the easiest for all of them, but they'd be walking through Gotham, and he didn't have the luxury of being himself there. The girls showed up dressed nicely, but comfortably. They'd been with him enough to know what was coming. 

“Ready?” he asked. He glanced at Clark before turning to Harley and Ivy. 

**-**

He watched Barry, because he was staring out the window in amazement. And it was more interesting than the seat in front of him. Bruce remembered his first trip to Metropolis. He was pretty sure he had felt the same way. There was something magical about the land between the two cities. Harley and Clark were two rows up talking quietly. Ivy had claimed the row behind them and spread out. He was pretty sure she was asleep. 

“I can see the tower!” Barry crowed. He leaned over and could barely see the W on the tower peeking over the landscape. He watched as his city rose before them. He smiled as they circled her edge, but as they slowed his smile faded into the casual disinterest he wore when he was home. He tapped Barry's arm. 

“Stay with Harley and Ivy when we get off the train, okay?” Barry nodded, looking confused. They pulled to a stop and he ushered Barry down the aisle ahead of him. He took a deep breath and stepped off the train. 

If he was ever going to come back to Gotham, the week of the anniversary was going to be it. Most of the papers had people stationed all over the city waiting for him. Most of the time it was just an inconvenience, but there were some that went out of their way to be horrible. He had a list. There were only a few, but anyone he'd seen at the cemetery would never get an interview from him. 

The pictures started snapping before he'd even fully stepped off the train. He didn't react, just kept walking. There were a few questions asked, he answered a few from reporters he knew.

“Just here for the day.”

“Dinner with family and friends.”

“Are you asking me out?” Bruce joked, a real smile breaking through. He knew that would be alongside any article. But he couldn't help it. Angela had been a reporter for longer than he'd been alive. She had a wicked sharp wit and never let him coast through interviews. He was surprised that she was there. 

“Rumor is you are seeing a Luthor.” 

His smile dropped off his face. “Not any longer.” She wrote something down. 

He nodded to her and moved to catch up with the others. Harley pulled him out of the doorway when he stepped out of the station. He jerked free of her hand before realizing who it was.“Sorry,” he mumbled. 

She just smiled at him. “Clark is getting us a cab. He saw some of them calling others. I think you're a little more popular than last year.” She beamed brightly right behind him. They all slid into the car, Ivy pushed him into the passenger's seat.When the car pulled away from the curb he sighed. 

“You were serious,” Barry said. He was squeezed between Clark and Harley. He looked more confused than anything else. 

“Yeah.” he looked over to Clark who was looking right back at him. “Sorry.” 

“Just leave us here,” he told the driver when they pulled up to the gate. 

“Thank you, Mr. Wayne,” the man said with a smile after he paid. He smiled back with a nod.

“Is this your house?” Barry was staring open mouthed at it. “Its bigger than my high school!” Bruce walked around and keyed in the gate code. It opened. Barry rushed forward. “This entire thing is yours?” he chuckled, amused. Barry kept his monologue up the entire way. 

Alfred was waiting at the door a bemused expression on his face. “Master Bruce,” he said. Bruce hesitated for a moment before hugging him and breathing him in, Alfred gripped him hard back. He pulled away. Alfred looked to their audience. 

“Oh. Um, this is my father, Alfred. You already know those two.” Harley flipped him off, at the dismissive tone. “This is Barry and Clark.” Alfred shook both of their hands and invited them in. Barry was silent, eyes wide as they walked through the manor. He glanced at Clark who had a similar look on his face. 

Clark could have fit his entire house in the entryway. And the barn and maybe half of their field back home. He had never felt so small in his life and as he took a few steps forward, he wondered what it must have been like for Bruce to grow up here with just him and Alfred. Must have been lonely. He looked back at Bruce but he was laughing with the girls while Barry ran around into any unlocked room he could find. “Master Clark?” he jumped not noticing that Alfred had been behind him. 

He let out a breath and smiled at him, “Just Clark, please sir.” He told him. 

“I think, Alfred, will do for me as well.” He told him ryely and gestured towards the kitchen. “Coffee?” he offered. 

Clark felt himself untense. “That sounds amazing.” he said following after him. 

It smelled like a banquet hall and looked like one too. It was clean and warm and, of course, state of the art. There were two ovens working at the same time and sauces simmering on the stove. He thanked Alfred when he handed him a steaming mug and watched as he went behind the counter to finish rolling out a dough that kept flaking at the middle. “Would you like some help?” he asked before he could think too much about it. 

Clark liked Alfred. He liked him a lot. Just looking at him he would have assumed that he had been in household service his entire life. But there was so much more to him than he would have expected. Years in service as a an air force medic with his family still back home in England. “Do you miss them?” Barry asked when he had settled down at the table to watch when he'd finished going through the house. 

“Everyday.” Alfred told him and then he smiled. “But I have a family here as well.” He looked between them. “I am sure the pair of you can understand that.” The timer went off and he opened the oven to pull out the ham. “Would you mind gathering the others. “ He asked Barry. And the boy fan out of the room. 

“Clark.” He stopped where untying the apron he had been given and gave his full attention to Alfred who was staring at the door to make sure it was shut. When he turned back to Clark he was all serious. “I'm afraid that I have to asked, what are your intentions with my son?” 

He blinked and felt his heart jump into his throat. “Um… sir-” 

Alfred held up his hand to stop him. “I know that there is something between you. He hasn't said much but I can see the way he looks to you, and you to him. So tell me, Clark, should I be worried?” 

He swallowed and shook his head, “No sir.” He told him firmly. “The very last thing I want to do is hurt him.”

Alfred nodded and after a moment he smiled, patting his shoulder as he moved by to grab the ham. 

**-**

Bruce picked at his cabbage. Alfred smiled at him when they looked at each other across the table and he forced a forkful into his mouth. It was probably the only thing he didn't like about the meal. He finished off his small serving and went back for more of everything but that green mess. 

“Is there something wrong with the cabbage?” Ivy asked. “Don't you want more money?” She took a bite to hide her grin. 

“I have enough. Too much. That's why I'm always giving it away. I just don't know what to do with it all.” He pointed pushed the bowl of cabbage toward Ivy. “You sound like you need some more.” She took some and the others started ribbing each other. He laughed when Barry knocked a glass over and immediately stood up, almost knocking his chair and himself over if it hadn't been for Clark. “I think Barry needs some more health.” He said, snorting and covering his mouth. Everybody stopped and turned to him. Then they all started giggling and he burst out laughing. He watched his friends laughing and joking together and couldn't think of a better way to begin the New Year.

After dinner Alfred lured them all to the parlor with the promise of dessert. Bruce slipped out and headed to the garage. “Hey. Where are you going?” 

He turned to see Clark slowing from a jog. “I'll be right back.” he hesitated. “You could come with me if you want.” he shrugged like it was no big deal, but kept his eyes on Clark waiting for an answer. 

“Sure. Where are we going?” Clark followed him to the car. He backed out of the garage before answering. 

“To say hello to my parents.” He focused on the winding road. 

Clark followed him carefully through the centuries old headstones to the few more modern graves. He walked past a his grandparents and his uncle before stopping in front of his parents. He wiped the thin layer of snow off the top and straightened the bouquet of flowers sitting before his mom's and then looked over to Clark. “It's been another year.” he looked back to the graves that Clark was studying like he'd be graded on knowing every detail later. “Still in school, Mom. Met a few new friends. You'd like them. Don't be fooled though. Barry looks like he's twelve, but he's seventeen. And Clark clearly missed his calling as a football player, as you can see.” Clark scoffed. “Harley and Ivy got engaged. Selina…” he hesitated, the last time he'd been here they'd been attempting to actually date. “Selina's still being herself. Alfred has another granddaughter. Been some hard moments this year, but I'm pretty happy.” He touched both of the headstones. When he was younger he'd try to give as detailed account as he could, but as he got older he started talking about the important stuff, and about how he was doing. When he'd told Harley about it, she had told them that it was good to look back on the year and see how much good had happened. “I'll see you next year.” 

Clark's eyes were closed. He smiled softly before looking at him. “Said hello to my dad. It's been a while.” They stood in the middle of the snow covered cemetery looking at each other. He shivered and the moment broke. Clark lead the way back to the car.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Ivy and Harley curled up together on the train back to Metropolis. Clark sat with Barry and Bruce took the row behind them. He sat against the window and watched his city fade into the countryside.

The ride back to the manor had been subdued. Not that he hadn't expected that, they were leaving a cemetery after all, but Clark was quiet even when they got back. He watch him interact with the others. Maybe it was wrong to take him. They'd all had a fun day and he'd ruined it. But if he was being honest he was glad he'd come. He hadn't wanted to go by himself. There had been so much bad lately. If he'd been alone he would have talked too much about each of his failed relationships. Every low point. He would have lost how good his year had been overall. But mostly, he hadn't wanted to start the year off sad and alone. He wanted it to be happy, and for some reason he was happy around Clark. He knew he'd be happy with Clark too. 

Alfred hadn't been coy about that. He'd cornered him after they had finished dessert and were gathering their jackets. “When are you going to ask Clark out?” he hadn't told Alfred about Lex, any of it. 

He looked over his shoulder to where Clark was standing with all of the jackets in his hands as Barry wrestled with his boots. “When I'm sure,” he answered. Alfred had frowned at him, but it was the truth. When he was sure that he was back to himself. That he wasn't just reacting to another failed relationship. That's when he'd asked. He wanted to do this right. He needed to. 

**-**

The last two weeks of break flew by. Ivy was in full blown wedding mode. She had to try every bakery in town before school started back up. She had a mantra of cake and flowers for days before Harley told Ivy she would get the flowers squared away. Ivy had been trying another slice of cake and had simply stared at her for a long moment before nodding. 

Ivy had asked him as they got back to the apartment if he'd be her bridesmaid. She had grinned and handed him a tiny bouquet of poinsettias. He'd hugged her and spun her around. “Best man?” he asked. Ivy rolled her eyes. Harley shouted that Selina was already the Maid of Honor. 

They were all at a bridal shop, Clark had been dragged along when the brides had realized he was off. Ivy had tried on one dress, broke down crying and had been done. Harley in a dressing room on the other side of the store was trying on everything. He'd snuck by to see and heard Selina in a very serious voice telling her that she could not have a neon pink wedding dress. After Harley finally picked her dress they started on the wedding party. Harley’s best friend from high school and Ivy’s sister were the only two other people. He tried on a couple suits then a tux as Selina changed into different dresses. He'd walked out and looked across to see Selina in the same tux. She rolled her eyes and told him he had to change, that she looked better in it. Ivy wasn't laughing. She looked at them both and clapped. 

“Yup. This is it. Everyone in tuxes.” They'd all looked at her, maybe all this planning was messing with her head. 

“So they'll only be looking at us. Who wants to look at people in tuxes.”

“I do,” Clark said quietly. Bruce had felt his eyes on him since he walked out. He'd been the one to find Harley’s dress. 

“We all know Bruce is gorgeous. No need to drool honey” Harley said pretending to wipe at Clark's mouth. Clark blushed hard. He turned his head from where he'd been staring. 

Bruce grinned and Selina hissed at him. He schooled his face and spun a little. “We could all wear dresses,” he joked. Selina and Ivy started chirping him. Couldn't wear strapless because of his shoulders. Ivy had damned him for looking amazing in a sheath dress in her head. He watched Clark as the blush faded. He looked up to him somehow bashful and heated at the same time. Damn him. Bruce should just ask him out already. It had been two weeks. Two weeks where he hadn't thought about his exes, had hung out with his friends and had fun. He was still staring at Clark who had joined the debate when they all turned to him. “Tuxes it is. We've come to the decision you'd be too distracting in a dress.” Ivy was smiling smugly. “We need a different color though black is too boring.” They went through swaths of fabric as he changed back into his jeans and jacket. 

Clark spent the rest of the appointment helping Harley pick out the most ridiculous colored jackets that they could find until it was finally decided that they would go with a charcoal grey with blue ties. Bruce looked amazing. He had to force himself to focus on Harely so that he wouldn't be caught staring at him again but even then he could feel his eyes slipping in his direction. And when he managed to drag them away he could feel Bruce looking back at him. He felt hot. He pulled at the back of his callar and grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair as followed the group back out, ducking quickly into the car with Harley and Salina, leaving Bruce to go with Ivy. 

As soon as they started back towards campus Harley took a hard left and fell out of the group. She looked at Selina and she nodded and the took another sharp turn, stopping at the bar that was only marked by the peaking gold letter on the door. They got out and Selina pulled open his door while Harley leaned in and unbuckled him with a grin. “Let's talk.” She told him too sweetly and then they dragged him into the bar. 

They guilted three shots into him before they started in in him. “So Clark.” Selina started, smiling broadly at him. That made him the most uncomfortable out of anything. Selina didn't smile at Clark. Ever. “You're probably wondering why we brought you here.” She slid another shot in front of him. 

He narrowed his eyes and looked between them. “You need something.” He said after a minute. 

“Actually I do,” Harley finally piped up and when he looked at her She actually seemed shy. Now he was freaked out. “Look, Clark, I know we haven't known each other very long but…” she looked at Selina who pushed her and then she looked back at him. “I don't have any brothers and my pops never stuck around. And I feel like… I mean you just…” 

“Will you give her away?” Selina finished for her when she kept babbling. 

Clark blinked not sure if he was drunk, “You want me to walk you down the aisle?” he asked to make sure he’d heard right. She nodded and Clark smiled feeling so genuinely touch that he didn't know what to say. “Of course I will.” He told her and she almost knocked the table over as she jumped over it to hug him. 

They had a real drink after that and Harley decided that she didn't want to go back yet. She called Ivy and told them to come meet them at the bar and Selina convinced the bartender to turn on the old karaoke machine. Ivy, Bruce and Barry were there five minutes after and the regulars started pouring in before Diana showed up. They all cheered to the brides and then the shots were poured. They spent an hour laughing and applauding people as they went up and sang. He jumped when he heard his name and glared at Diana who gave him a shit eating grin as she pulled him onto the stage and left him there. 

The group whistled and the smooth and bouncing tones of Witchcraft started bouncing through the speakers. He rolled his eyes and gave in, singing out Sinatra in the his best impression- which wasn't all that bad but he might have just been too buzzed to hear it. Harley and Selina jumped on the stage with him and did an obnoxious swaying dance behind him, pretending to be his backup singer's and he laughed through a verse and locked eyes with Bruce. He wasn't laughing. He wasn't laughing one bit. A warmth burned in Clark's belly button, running straight up to his chest as he sang about his the spell that he had in him. 

He could hear people clapping when he finished but he didn't shift his gaze. He jumped off the stage and made a beeline for Bruce when a familiar face stepped in the way. He blinked and took a step back. “What are you doing here?” he asked Oliver over the noise of their group. 

“Looking for you.” He told him and pulled up his Facebook to show him the tag. “Can we talk?” he asked. 

Clark looked over at Bruce and saw him glaring at the back of Oliver's head. He looked back at Oliver. He looked tired and sad. But so was Clark. He hardened. “I don't want to talk right now.” He told him and walked towards the door. Oliver followed him and he walked faster. He got outside before he remembered that he hadn't driven there. The cold air hit him like a brick and he swayed a little feeling dizzy, jumping when Oliver caught him. “Don't.” He told him and stumbled again. 

Oliver caught him and frown. “Clark, you're drunk.” 

“I'm not.” He argued but he knew that Oliver was right. “Why are you here?” he asked again. Here ruining an amazing day for no reason. Here reminding him that he had left him and he was wrong and it sucked. 

“I wanted to apologize.” Oliver told him. 

Clark pulled away from him, “For leaving, or for not thinking I'd get through it?” he asked. 

Oliver looked pained but the spinning in the world started to get worse and Clark moved back towards the curb and heaved. Oliver made a step towards him but a strong hand was already rubbing his back and helping him through the worst if it. “I think you should go” Bruce said from his side and Oliver looked at him in a way that Clark couldn't place before he said. “I'll be back.” And left them there. 

Bruce kept rubbing his back and Clark pitifully failed at pushing him away. “Don't look at me.” He told him feeling stupid as nausea burned his eyes and embarrassment hit him. 

“Shut up. “ He grumbled at him but it wasn't in a hard way. When he stopped heaving Bruce helped him up and pulled him towards a car. He didn't know whose car it was but he didn't ask. He let Bruce drive him in silence and when he couldn't figure out the door, Bruce pulled him out of the car and dragged him to the bathroom and turned on the shower. “Okay,” he told him, dragging Clark's shirt over his head, “get in.” He told him and Clark stumbled into the water still in his jeans. Bruce pulled his jeans off and left him in his boxer briefs as the hot water washed the head ache off of him. Bruce washed the sweat off of him and after he looked less homeless, he turned off the water and pulled Clark back out onto the carpet. 

Clark blinked at him through his foggy glasses and pushed them up into his hair. “You are amazing.” He told him. 

Bruce rolled his eyes and took his glasses off of his head before he ran a towel through his hair. “You're drunk.” He told him. 

Clark grabbed his hand. “And funny.” He grinned dorkily, “And smart and brave.” 

“Clark.” 

“And possibly the hottest person ever in the whole world.” 

“Clark.” Bruce said again and when he focused he could see that he wasn't looking at him. 

“I know you need time.” Clark told him, he held his hand tight and waited for him to look up. “I won't push you.” He told him earnestly. “ And I know I'm not much. I don't have anything to offer you but myself and you deserve so much more. But when you are ready. Bruce, I'm, like, all in.” 

Bruce frown at him for a minute before Clark rushed over to the toilet and threw up again. His hand soothed his back again and he heard Bruce sigh. “That's what I thought.”

**-**

When he woke up the next day he was curled around the toilet with a mouth full of a sour metal taste. His head was hammering and he couldn't see straight. He was pretty sure that someone had changed him into a pair of sweats but he could only barely open his eyes when he saw the blur of a water glass set in front of him. He groaned and turned his head with extreme effort to look up at Bruce. “Am I dead?” he croaked. 

Bruce chuckled at him and helped pull him into a sitting position. He retched but he didn't have anything left in him and frown at the water. “Drink that.” Bruce commanded. “I made Barry make coffee. But you can't have any until you finish that.” He told him pausing in the doorway. “And I would drink it fast. Harley is on her way over to show you videos she took of you singing last night.”

“You let me sing?” Clark could almost cry, binding his face in his hands. 

Bruce just laughed at him. “You have five minutes.”

**\---**

Clark had been determined to sleep in the bathroom. Every time Bruce tried to pick him up off the ground he'd hug the toilet, go limp, and on one memorable occasion- vomit. So he left him, towel tucked under his head.

He stared at the ceiling for most of the night replaying Clark's drunken confession. He frowned and rolled over. He didn't want anything else. Why did Clark think he needed more? Bruce groaned into his pillow and closed his eyes. He could figure it out in the morning. 

The morning came with Clark remembering nothing and Harley laughing maniacally as she showed him video after video of him singing and dancing. Clark had even quoted a few presidents while doing shots at one point. Where had he been for that? Clark groaned and laughed with them. Bruce watched him and smiled as he took their teasing and doled out his own, reminders of their own stupid actions. 

Clark got up to grab another cup of coffee as Harley started telling Barry about a night during their sophomore year. He had to say something. It was eating at him as each second went by. He stopped at the door when he heard Clark talking.

“I saw you last night?” he hesitated before feeling like an idiot. He walked in and raised an eyebrow at Clark like he didn't know who he was talking to. He turned to the coffee machine after he mouthed Oliver. “Really? Ummm. Yeah I guess. We can get coffee or something.” He held up his mug and made a face. Clark chuckled and waved him off. “Yeah. Just let me know when.” Clark hummed and mumbled goodbye before hanging up. 

“Ran into Oliver last night. No one mentioned that.” Clark stole his mug and took a big gulp. Pointedly not asking him to explain. 

“Yeah. You didn't seem so happy to see him.”

“Yeah, he said that.” There was a small grin on Clark's face when Bruce checked his reaction. 

“Then you stormed out of the bar. You told him to go away and threw up. Pretty much the end of the night right there.”  
“He called to apologize for upsetting me.” he hummed, not really sure what he was supposed to say to that. Maybe Bruce should be happy for his friend. After all Clark had been happy with Oliver. But he didn't want to be happy. 

Clark went for coffee later that night. Bruce played Mario Kart with Barry until they both started fading. Barry nodded and walked in a daze to his room when he suggested they had to bed.

He didn't stay up listening for the door. He didn't check his phone every thirty minutes. He didn't curse the universe when he heard Barry's ‘It's Morphin’ Time’ ringtone start up. Barry was trying to get back on his school sleep schedule. He'd scuffed the floor as he told him his mom had used to do it at the end of summer. 

They only had two days until classes started back up and it was almost 7am. The poor kid had gotten another 8am class. His own schedule was scattered. He'd been late to register and had just grabbed any class he could. He had grinned at Barry's reaction to them having the same class. He'd immediately started planning study sessions and asked him where he liked to sit. 

Bruce spent the rest of the day out of the apartment. Mostly bothering Selina at work. She'd let him hold the stray kittens for a few hours while she cleaned their cages. After she'd kicked him out he found Ivy and improved her irrigation system. Harley dropped by as the sun was starting to set. It was still late, but he didn't want to face the apartment, or who was possibly waiting there. 

He knocked on the door. Selina leaned against the door when he opened it. She searched his face and frowned after a moment. He shifted, worry that she'd send him away suddenly at the forefront of his thoughts. It had been months. Almost the longest they'd gone without...

“This is a bad idea,” Selina said softly. He knew she was asking if he was sure. Checking that he'd thought this through. They'd gone through this time and time again. He knew the right response. Some flirty quip about it being the best idea. But it wasn't. He knew it wasn't. She knew it too. 

“Better than all the other bad ideas floating around in my head.” Selina stepped back. She held the door as he stepped in. She looked him over again before shutting and locking the door. 

They moved together, an old dance they knew all the steps to. She kissed his neck softly as his fingers ghosted over her waist. She curled up into him and he drew her in. She wrapped her legs around him when he lifted her. He turned toward the bed. She broke off the kiss. “Other side. Moved it since the last time you were here.” She nodded behind him. Her bed sat on the opposite side of the loft. He stared at it for a second the change throwing him, but she'd gone back to kissing his neck and he stumbled forward. He set her down and she rolled them a second later settling in his lap. He stared up at her. 

“We don't have to do this. I know you're in love wi-”

“It doesn't matter.” he pulled off her shirt. She growled at him, more anger than allure. 

“It does too.” he let his hands drop from the hooks of her bra. 

“It doesn't. He's back with Oliver.” She fell against him, arms squirming under him as she wrapped him up in a hug. “I can't keep holding on to something that's never going to happen.” he hugged her back. She hummed a song she used to sing when she couldn't fall asleep. “He told me he'd wait for me.” his voice cracked and he buried his face in her hair. 

****

**\---**

Oliver looked just as great as he always did. Clark was almost positive that he had been mad about that last night but now that he had a sober mind he could admit that it was nice to see him. “Hi.” he said warily as he sat, making him wonder what exactly he had said to him last night. 

“Hi.” he answered back fiddling with the cardboard sleeve on his coffee cup and waiting for Oliver to start. 

He did. They talked. They talked for a long time. Oliver said a lot of really good things, that he was sorry he left and didn't show Clark the support he had deserved from him. He told Clark he hadn't deserved that. And Clark apologized for having to choose bit not for doing it. When all was said and done Oliver asked if he wanted to go to dinner. Clark thought it over, “No, thank you. I already have plans.” he smiled and stood up. Oliver followed suit. They hugged, Oliver kissed his cheek and then they left. 

He felt about a hundred pounds lighter when he started back towards the dorm, feeling for the first time that everything really was in the past. He had just pulled his keys out to start his truck of his pocket when his phone rang and an unknown caller popped up on the screen. “Hello?” he frown into the receiver. 

“Yes, Hello. Is this Mr. Kent?” a cool voiced woman asked on the other end. 

“Yes ma’am.” he answered. His heart starting to slow when he heard beeping behind her. 

“I'm sorry, but your mother has Had an accident.”


	8. Chapter 8

****

CHAPTER EIGHT

Clark didn't go home. He drove straight for Smallville, only stopping for gas and directions once his phone died. The hospital was surprisingly big for such a small town but, with all of the farmers around, it had always gotten regular business. He took a minute to be dazzled by just how white everything looked before he made his way to the nurses station and asked where he needed to go to find Martha Kent. The women at the other end of the station looked him over appreciatively as the elderly receptionist typed his mother's name into her computer. He kept his head down and tried not to feel self conscious, jumping at the chance to leave when she handed him a little visitor badge and pointed him down the hall on his left.

He stopped when he reached her door, the clatter in the hall feeling very far away as he thought about what was on the other side. He wished his phone wasn't dead. He wanted to talk to someone. Diana or Bruce or Harley or Barry. He should have gone back to the dorm. They would have come with him if he asked but he hadn't been thinking clear enough to know what was what he would want. He took a breath and carefully pushed the cracked door into the room. 

His mom was asleep, her leg suspended by a pulley an over her bed, casted and had a million mettle sticks and needles sticking out of it. Her head was bandaged and a little red at the right temple and she was covered in scratches and bruises. Clark swallowed hard carefully sitting in the chair next to the bed and reached out to grab the least hurt part of her. Her eyes fluttered open and a big smile flooded onto her face when she realized that he was there, her small, hurt hand gripping him hard. “Hey son.”

“Ma…” he started having to swallow hard to keep his voice from cracking as he held her gently back. “What happened?”

She snorted like it was nothing and shook her head. “It's that damned tractor.” she told him. “The tire busted a few weeks back and when I went to change It, the jac fell in and well,” she motioned to her suspended leg.

Clark winced. That was horrible. “ You know you shouldn't be changing that yourself.” he scolded her. 

She smacked at him and frown. “I do. But I don't have a lot of help around these days.” 

“What happened to Dawson?” he asked. He was the kid down the street. Smart and kind, always killing to help his ma with the heavier lifting. 

“He grew up.” she said a little proudly, Clark's annoyance at her attempt fading, “Went off to school to learn how to run his own farm one day.” she explained, “Now it's just me. And with the frost still set in-” 

“Let me worry about that.” he told her sternly, and even though he could tell that she wanted to say a hundred things to the contrary she held her words and nodded. 

**-**

He used the hospital phone to call the school when it was light enough outside. They were more understanding that he expected, telling him that anytime he was ready he could come back and finished what he started. He hung up after they told him that the reinvestment check would be in the mail. Clark called the Planet next. They were also understanding, agreeing to call it a leave of absence instead of him resigning his post. At least he wouldn't have to clean out his cubicle. He stopped in with his mom before he headed over to the farm and set to work. 

Luckily nothing was frozen yet, not that there was all that much out there. He found his dad's old jacket hanging in the barn and pulled it on tight before he started to set out the heaters. While the crops were warming he fed the animals, wrapping them in their blankets and latching them into their stalls. He milked the cow. Collected the eggs from the chicken coop and when all of that was done, he went over to the tractor. The hay was rusty where it had fallen and it smelled wet and molded. He grabbed a pitch and moved it out quickly, uneasy but glad that it had been there to soak it up. 

He took the heaters back in and covered the crops and went that was finished he went inside the little house that he'd grown up in, found his room and passed out.

**-**

The drive backup to Motropolis was harder than the drive down. He'd stopped to get boxes along the way and only then did it really hit him what was happening here. He would not be a reporter. He would not be a graduate student. He wouldn't even be a Copy Editor. He was going back to his old life, a good life, but a small one that he now felt guilty for even wanting more from. One he'd left his mother to deal with on her own and now she was too hurt to do it. He sighed as he pulled up to the door house and parked on the curb, tucking the unmade boxes under his arm while he fiddle with his keys. 

The door opened before he unlocked it and Selina blinked at him in a registering moment before she snarled. “Have a copy Holliday with Olli?” she demanded dragging him inside.

Clark blinked confused and really looked at her. Her hair was tousled and she had a bag of Bruce's stuff under her arm. He felt the burn of jealousy flit over him as he tried not to think about the reason she would look like that and be carrying this. He shoved it down, maybe it was better that way, and as calmly as he could he said, “I've been in Smallville. My ma got hurt pretty bad.” And headed back towards his room to start packing. 

He was taping his first box when she was unstunned enough to follow him. “What happened?” she asked sitting on his bed and without realizing that he was on the edge he burst into tears, ugly painful tears that tore at his throat. She held him and he just let himself cry. For his mom, his career, for Bruce, for his friends. For everything that had been going to well and now would just be gone.

****

\---

Bruce woke up alone. There was a note on the bedside table next to his phone. _Don't get used to this, but I'm kidnapping you for the day so I'm getting you some clothes._ There was a drawing of a cat doodled at the bottom. He dropped the note and flopped back onto the bed. Selina had forced him to talk. He'd spilled out all the hurt from the last few months, the last year, the years before that. Everything that he'd been bottling up came spilling out. She'd held him, silent except to tell him to stop berating himself. He started coffee, remembering the filter this time, and it was just starting to pour when Selina came back. She smiled at him, but he knew something was wrong.

“Clark dropped out.”

“What?” he turned to her. 

She looked at him, eyes sad. “His mom got hurt. He had to go back home.” 

“He's gone?” 

Selina nodded. 

**-**

He woke up to Barry's alarm tone. He had another hour before he had to get up for class, but he heard something in the living room. He climbed out and saw a guy moving around in the morning light. 

“Who the fuck are you?” Bruce asked. Barry's door opened at his voice. He stepped toward him. The guy looked up, surprise clear on his face. 

“Hal Jordan? Your new roommate.” 

“No.” He said simply. Barry glanced over to him. The Hal guy reared back like he'd been slapped. 

“Yeah. I am. The school said they sent you a notice.” They probably had. Clark always got the mail. He should probably check that. “I've been waiting for a new room assignment since Halloween.” His voice had a slight whine to it. Bruce frowned instantly irritated. 

“We're going to check your story. Out the door.” They'd go find this letter. 

“Come on man. I have a key.” he held up the key, Clark's carabiner still attached. 

“I don't trust you. Go.” he glanced back at Barry. “You're going to be late.” he nodded to his door. 

Hal walked down the stairs to the mailboxes. He opened it and pulled out the stack of letters. There were two from the school on top. Hal gave Bruce a shit eating smile as he read the letter. He shoved the key he'd snatched out of his hand as they walked out into his chest and headed back up to the apartment. 

Hal talked a lot. He was a history major focusing on the military. His dad had served. He'd always wanted to join, but a car accident when he was in high school left him with fused vertebrae. He hated coffee, but loved the smell of it. Bruce nearly ran out of the apartment when he finally had to go or be late to class. Hal had told him he'd see him later. 

**-**

Barry and Hal seemed to get along. Bruce listened to them yell at each other over video games as he tried to work through his assignments. 

His phone chirped. He glanced at it, another text from Harley. He cleared the notification and went back to his book. Hal whooped loudly again and Bruce slammed his book shut. He shoved them all into his bag and walked out. He muttered he was going somewhere quiet as he left. They didn't seem to hear him. Barry told him bye at least. Hal hadn't talked to Bruce since that first day. He seemed to realize that they weren't going to get along. 

The library was silent except for the occasional squeak of a chair. He huddled in his own cubby hole and blew through the chapter. He was scribbling down notes and outlining an essay in his head when there was a loud crash from behind the stack next to him. He looked around, but he was the only one in the area. He crept over to the edge of the shelves and peered down the aisle. There was a heap of books in the middle of the aisle and a guy sat in the middle of them with a forlorn expression on his face. Bruce looked over to him and he could practically hear the sigh. 

“Would you believe me if I said they jumped?” 

“Are you from Gotham?” he asked. He hadn't heard the accent in a while. 

“Dockside,” the guy said pushing the books off of him as he climbed to his feet. 

**-**

He stared at Hal as he walked in the apartment. Barry lit up. “Hey you guys want to join in? Hal promised a pizza for the winner.” 

Bruce shook his head. “We've got other games to play.” Barry barked out a sarcastic laugh. He hated it when he gave him shit for his mistake back in August. Then Bruce looked to Hal, eyes narrowing slightly like he was waiting to see if their new roommate, his new friend, was a douche or not. Hal didn't say anything just focused on the tv. 

“Nice meeting you,” Barry called. He winced and shot Barry a look as he shut his bedroom door. Barry just stuck his tongue out at him. 

**-**

BW: Why does mail come every day? 

He hit send as he walked back up the stairs. Since the fiasco that was Hal’s introduction he'd taken to stopping by the mailbox every day on his way up. He hadn't talked to Clark since he left, hadn't really talked to anyone. But it had been two weeks of waking up to an empty coffee pot and missing Clark's stupid smile that woke him up better than the caffeine did. Selina gagged in his head at that thought. Two weeks of picking up the mail and thinking about him for the rest of the night.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

His mom came home two weeks after he moved back in, but the doctor warned them that any strenuous movement would require them to come right back. She was restless and grumpy and hated that she couldn't take a normal shower without Clark carrying her in and out of the room-but they managed. And he admitted that it was nice to have someone to take care of, even if it was weird that it was his mom.

Everyone had called him. Harley and Ivy were the first, asking him how long he would be there and if his mom was okay. They talked at him mostly, telling him that he had to come back, but after and hour of trying to tell them that he didn't think he would be able to- they declared a pause and told him that they would continue at a later day. Which they had been. At least once a week. Lois called after asking his advice on a story. They didn't talk about anything other than that, which impressed Clark seeing as she was such a busy body. But it was nice to hear from her. They texted. Diana called every day and promised to visit soon as school calmed down again. Barry called him a few weeks after he left, telling him all about their new roommate, Hal, divulging the only things heard about or from Bruce in weeks. “He made him wait outside while he got the mail.” Barry told him like he thought it was crazy. And it kind of was. Bruce was not a easily angry guy. Clark's heart thumped a little and he shut it down. He hadn't heard from Bruce at all and he didn't expect to any time soon. 

He finished his morning chores and went to start the daily routine of getting his mom up and around when his phone alerted him to a text. He blinked at it for a minute and left it in the counter while he filled the coffee maker thinking of the perfect way to reply and not wanting to seem too eager. He didn't text back until he was sitting at the table with a mug. 

CK: You don't actually have to check it everyday, if that helps. 

He started to get breakfast ready, pouring milk in his mom's coffee while the eggs cooked and his phone went off again. 

BW: Why not? It doesn't stop it from coming. 

CK: But it also doesn't make it come less. 

BW: Why can't it come all at once? 

CK: If it all came at once then people should have to send their letters all at the same time. We would all be controlled by a hive mind that would keep us on schedule which just couldn't work because people write at different lengths. 

BW: Unless we outlaw long letters. If we teach kids in grade school a standard letter forum, then it might actually work. 

CK: Or you could just make Barry check the mail. 

He didn't realize that he had been smiling until he got upstairs and his mom grinned at him. “What has you so happy?” she asked as he helped her sit up in her bed. 

He wiped the grin off his face and pretended to be very serious. “I don't know what you are talking about.” He shrugged and clicked on the TV he’d brought up to her room. 

**-**

They texted every few days. It was never anything serious, just about random things in small blurted conversations that died off fast. It was nice. It reminded him of how things were between them before things got complicated. 

The doctor approved his mom to use crutches after a few more weeks had gone by. And with her more mobile she puttered around, following him through the farm with a constant stream of questions. “Well when are you planning on going back?” she asked for the ninth time. Clark looked at her exhausted, and she continued. “I don't expect you to stay here forever. You aren't a farmer Clark, you are a writer. It's bad enough that you had to take this semester off.”

He tried his hardest not to roll his eyes but she tutted at him anyway, “Ma, you can't run this place by yourself.” He told her. It was the truth. He knew she didn't like hearing it but it needed to be said. 

“You let me worry about that.” She swatted at him and smacked his foot with her crunch. “Go sit down. I'm making dinner.” 

**-**

CK: I think my ma might be trying to kill me. 

BW: How do you figure that?

CK: Now that she can hobble around she won't stop cooking. She is trying to fatten me up and before long she will try to cook me. 

BW: You could just eat less. 

CK: Ma has cooked for you. How could you even say that?

**\---**

Barry shuffled in the doorway. Bruce glanced up from the page he was trying to get through for the third time while he waited on the coffee machine. Barry opened his mouth, shook his head, and closed it.

“Ask.” 

Barry jolted forward looking panicked. “How do you ask a girl out?” 

Brucehad to take a second to process the question. He didn't know people could talk that fast. “Who do you want to ask out?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at the teenager. “Your classmates-” 

“No. She works at the bookstore. She's a freshman.”

“So an older woman,” he said with a knowing drawl to his voice. Barry punched him. 

“I'll be 18 in a month. Will the kid jokes end then?” Bruce shrugged. Barry sighed. “Iris is smart and beautiful. She laughs at my jokes. Like really laughs. But I've never… I've never asked a girl out before.” 

“Don't do it while she's working,” he said right away. “Have you talked to her when she wasn't working?” 

Barry nodded. “Yeah. She sat with me for lunch on Monday.” 

“OK. Never hit on a girl whose working.” Barry looked at him like he'd never even considered that. He smiled and wanted to ruffle the kids hair. He was too good. “So what are you going to do on your date?” Barry stared at him like he'd just been told that gravity wasn't real. “Dinner? Movie? Racecar driving?” Barry snapped out of it. 

“Dinner and a movie?” 

“Classic. When?” 

“On Tuesday?” Barry gave him an odd look. It hit him. 

“Valentine's Day? Oh man. You're going big.” Barry looked nervous again. “You'll do great. OK. So. Let's plan this thing.” Barry leaned forward over the counter. 

**-**

Bruce was missing one of his classes and felt like a stalker, but he had to see this. He checked again and Barry was still standing in the middle of the quad fidgeting as he glanced around. 

BW: Calm down. 

BA: I can't.

He seemed calmer despite the text. A girl walked up behind Barry, she was pretty, and had a bright smile on her face when she touched Barry's shoulder. The boy leapt in the air, both feet actually left the ground and spun. Iris laughed and Barry chuckled awkwardly with her. Bruce tried to mentally tell Barry to ask her out, but the boy was just staring. Iris said something. He should have picked a closer tree to stand behind. He couldn't hear anything. Barry glanced over his shoulder then nodded. He could see Barry's mouth forming the words they'd gone over for the rest of the morning. Iris smiled and nodded. 

“Yes!” he cheered, jumping in place as he pumped his arm. The couple making out a few feet away from him stared before going back to each other's tonsils. Bruce glanced back out and Barry and Iris were still talking although they were moving toward a table. 

BW: Our dear Barry has begun courting a fine young lady. 

CK: They grow up so fast. 

Clark wanted to know everything. They talked most of the day, but Clark's texts dropped once the sun had started to set. He found himself waking up earlier each day to get just that much more time to talk to him. He ignored Clark's choices and helped Barry through picking clothes and tried to keep him calm as V-day approached. Iris seemed just as excited the few times he'd seen her while he eating lunch with Barry. 

**-**

I: My photographer canceled. 

BW: I'll hide the body. 

I: I'll add it to the compost.   
I: Find me another one? 

**-**

BW: You do art stuff. Do you know any photographers? 

DP: I am one? Painting is my love. Photography pays the bills. 

BW: If you're joking you'll be composted. 

He sent Diana's number to Ivy and prayed that she would work. Graduation had eaten up everybody else in town. 

**-**

Harley tried to drag him out the night before Valentine's. He'd been holding them off with the occasional text, but they were getting more insistent. She closed his book and gave him a hard look. “You're coming out with us. You've been like a ghost for almost a month. It's just sad.”

“I have a test in the morning.” Bruce opened the book back up, he'd have to find his place again. “I'll take a rain check.” Harley moved to close the book again. He grabbed it before she could and stood up. “You want me out of my room. Fine! I'm going to the library.” he regretted yelling as soon as he'd slammed the front door. 

**-**

Valentine's came and went. Barry floated into the apartment after his date and fell onto the couch next to him. “She kissed me.” Barry sighed. He could practically see the hearts floating around his head. “We're going race car driving this weekend.” Barry turned to him with a big smile. “Go-Karts.” 

**-**

Sunday morning he woke up to a single text from Alfred. He pushed up off the mattress and stumbled into the kitchen. Barry was making waffles. More of the batter was on the counter than appeared to have made it into the iron, but they smelled good. Bruce started his coffee and sat at the counter. Barry was practically humming as he cooked. “Good date last night?” 

While they ate, Barry talked about his date. How much fun they'd had at the race track. How Iris looked beautiful even with road dust on her face. He'd told him all about the little smudges the goggles had left around her eyes. Bruce ordered Barry's favorite pizza and once Hal got back watched them play games for the rest of the day. He shot Hal in the head and whooped as he got the final kill of the round. Hal grumped his way into the kitchen. Barry snickered and gave Bruce a subtle hi five. Barry had an early class and Bruce didn't want to spend any more time with Hal than he already had. He retreated to his room and checked his phone. No more messages. 

He wasn't surprised if he was being honest. Harley was still mad at him. Ivy was mad that he'd made Harley mad. Selina just wasn't talking to him. She hadn't liked his week of silence at the beginning of the semester and had sent him a nearly novel length text about why she wasn't going to be talking to him anymore. 

“Happy Birthday,” he mumbled to himself. 

He tried to study, but he couldn't focus. He still had two chapters to read before class the next day. He'd meant to read them on Friday. Then promised himself to read them on Saturday. But they sat unread. He tossed the book across the room and fell back onto his bed. What was he doing?

BW: I wish I could talk to my mom. 

CK: Something happen? 

He stared at the text. Did something happen? Nothing really happened. Just weeks of him hating almost all of his classes. An entire month of his friends talking about their future and him realizing he wasn't excited about his. 

CK: Bruce? 

He'd taken too long to answer. It was late. Or early, Clark was probably already getting up for the day. His phone rang and he answered it without thinking, the sound shocking him into action. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey asshole. You can't just text me that and then not answer my texts. Scare the shit out of me. What's going on? The girls said you'd been distant lately. I may have been ordered to get you to stop being an ass.” Clark chuckled briefly. “Bruce?” 

“Yeah. Sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you.”

“You aren't bothering me. Tell me what's wrong. You sound like shit.”

“My classes are shit.” 

Clark was quiet for a minute. “So you're not just making up excuses?” 

he knew that he'd been bailing on the girls more and more, but he hadn't thought they would complain about him. “It's just my business classes.” Clark hummed. He sighed. “I've wanted to run WE since I was 5. My entire life has been dictated by a piece of paper since I was 8. Go to college. Get my MBA. And in two years take over WE. I-I don't want to. I don't want to sit in board meetings all day. I don't want to look at perfectly good numbers and dissect them until they are terrible. I like what I do now. I loved building Ivy’s irrigation system.” he sucked in a quick breath. “I just want to talk to my mom.” He covered his eyes as his voice broke. “She'd know what I should do.” 

Clark hadn't been expecting that. He looked around the kitchen, it was still dark outside but he could see the outline of the barn through the windows and knew that in a few minute he would be in it milking the cow and mucking stalls. This wasn't the life he wanted. It was the life he was raised into to. “You should come down to the farm.” He said after a minute. 

“What?” Bruce asked confused how he had landed on it. 

Clark chuckled. “Get away from everyone for a few days and come to the farm. It'll be good for you.” He promised, “Nothing but manual labor and good food and no one will bother you about WE here because they don't know what it is.” 

Bruce was quiet for a minute before he submitted with, “I'll think about it.” 

Clark grinned. That was good enough. He looked at his watch and blinked when the day shined at him. “Isn't it your birthday?” he asked. Bruce didn't say anything but Clark knew that he hadn't hung up yet. “Happy birthday, Bruce.” He told him before he let him go. 

He sent a text to the girls right after and told them they had talked, not what about, but that they had actually talked and told them that even if they were mad that they needed to get him to do something today. They begrudgingly agreed and his terms and set off on their mission when the sun came out. They sent pictures all day, Bruce in line for a roller coaster looked miserable. Bruce after with his hair crazy and a small smile peeling at his cheeks. Bruce with a sloppy cupcake that Barry had made in front of him filled with too many candles. Bruce with cupcake all over his face and Diana laughing uncontrollably. All day he got little peaks into his friends lives and it filled his soul with what he needed to get through another day of chores. He shot the group a text telling them he was proud of them when he walked in to his mom in the kitchen with a big pot of potato soup. He stood in the doorway for a minute and watched her while she added carrots and onions to the pot thinking about just how lucky he was to have her when his phone went off again.

BW: I have no idea how, but I know you were behind today. 

CK: Prove it.

**-**

They called more. It was weird at first but after a while they were just kind of past saying hello and more into just starting where they left off or where they needed to go. Bruce had dropped one of his business classes and picked up and engineering course that he could not stop talking about. It all sounded like a different language to Clark but he liked to listen to Brice talk so he just closed his eyes and let him most of the time. “Are you falling asleep?” he accused a few weeks in. 

“Yes.” Clark yawned and cracked his eyes open, half expecting him to be there but of course he wasn't. “I'm sure it's fulfilling or whatever but engineering sounds horrible.” 

He could hear the eye roll on the other end. “Well tell me about your day.” He demanded. 

“Then _you_ would fall asleep.” Clark laughed, “It's the same as every day.” 

They were quiet for a minute. “When are you coming back?” Bruce asked finally. 

Clark sighed and rolled off his bed. “Bruce…” 

“You'll get right back into the program. With that front page story there is no way they'd turn you away. But you should think about it soo-” 

“Bruce.” He said again more firmly this time. Bruce stopped but he knew that he was expecting an answer. Clark didn't have an answer. “Ma has a doctor's appointment in the morning.” He swallowed on the desire that he had to tell him he would be running back as soon as he could. 

“Clark.” 

“Same time tomorrow?” he asked. “I'll tell you all about the cows.” 

He knew the conversation wasn't over but Bruce didn't push him. “Fine. But I want every snore worthy detail.” 

**-**

They took off the cast and stretched his mother's leg, after that they adjusted her pins they put her in a boot and told her that she could walk but with lots of rest. She wasn't exactly happy about It, but she cooked an extra large dinner that day to celebrate being more mobile. He called Bruce to tell him about the cows. They didn't talk about him coming back. 

Over the next few weeks he spent most of his time chasing his mom back inside and getting the soil ready to plant new corn. It was hard work and he could feel the burn on his skin from the sun but it gave him time to think about things, time in his own head that he had not had in a while. When he mucked the stalls and took care of the livestock he always found himself talking to them. But out in the field he was on his own. He was half way through a story pitch in his mind when he saw a nice car pull into the drive and a man in a nice suit got out. He watched as his mom answered the door and she waved to Clark before she shut them in. He finished plowing and made his way back in to meet them at the table where they had papers spread out in front of them. 

His mom's eyes looked tight but she smiled at Clark, “Clark this is Mr. Marlins. He's a realtor from a few towns over.” She told him. 

Clark wiped a sleeve over his forehead and took his glove off so he could shake his hand. “Pleasure.” He told him with a nod and walked to the sink to grab a glass of water. “What brings you up our way?” he asked. 

Mr. Marlins looked uncomfortable but he spoke kindly. “Your Mom asked me to come by and take a look at the property to see if I could get a price for it.” He told him easily. “It's a nice place, small but quaint and in a good area.” He said to Clark's mother who was avoiding her son's gaze. “We shouldn't have a problem finding a buyer.” He listened quietly while he finished his water listening without believing while they talked about a time frame. He washed his glass and set it on the rack before heading back out to the field. He pulled at the weeds more aggressively than he needed to. 

Martha found him out there not too much later, hobbling carefully over the ridges that he had made. “Were you even gonna tell me?” he asked the weeds as he ripped it out of the ground. 

“If we got a buyer.” She told him calmly. Clark shoved the last of the weeds he'd torn up into a trash bag. He tied it up and started back to the barn. “Son.” She called after him. 

His good nature is the only thing that made him stop. “We were here with Dad.” He told her and dropped the bag. 

“Your father isn't here anymore Clark.” She told him looking likening was the heaviest thing she had ever dropped off her chest. “And you don't deserve to be stuck here.”

**\---**

“This is my home.”

Bruce stepped into his room. 

“You'd be upset if they tried to sell the manor. Right?” 

“I was.”

“See. Wait, what?”

“A few months after they died the city tried to buy the land. I was a kid, there wasn't anything I could do to stop them. They changed their mind, but it sucked. What's going on?”

“My mom is selling the farm.” a bolt of relief shot through Bruce, followed quickly by guilt. Clark was clearly upset. He shouldn't be happy at the chance that it meant Clark was coming back. “She wants to move on or something.” he listened to Clark ramble for a few minutes about the real estate agent, weeds, and suits. When he ran out of steam he was quiet for a few minutes. “All my memories of my dad are here.”

“Bruce it's your turn! Get your ass back out here.” he opened his door and shot Harley a look. Clark had probably heard her from Smallville even without the phone. 

“You're busy. We'll just talk later.”

“No. Clark-” the call ended. He sighed and swung open the door. “You couldn't have just skipped me?” he plopped down next to the coffee table and threw the dice down on the board. They clattered off the table and Ivy glared at him before setting it back on the board. He moved his piece and drew the card. 

“You need to get laid,” Harley grumbled under her breath. Bruce made a face at her and tried to get Clark to talk to him. He kept replying that it could wait. 

“He gets plenty,” Hal commented as he walked through the living room. The girls all turned to look at him. Barry was focused on shaking the die in his hands. 

Bruce glared at the back of Hal’s head, willing it to burst into flames. “I've met a few people at the library,” he said quietly when he couldn't ignore their questioning looks. Selina started cracking up. She fell back against the couch and laughed. Ivy stared at Selina. 

Harley looked confused. “Wait. I thought you were talking to Clark.” 

“Not like that.”

“You talked for three hours the other day.” Harley looked to Ivy. “I'm sorry, but I don't even talk to Ivy that much and she's like-” she made a heart and an explosion noise like that explained anything. “Does he know about your library people? ” she asked. 

“Yeah? He said something about making a map for freshman. He can't figure out if there is any correlation to certain sections or just time of day.” Harley stared at him. Then looked to each of the people around the table before looking back at him, completely flabbergasted.

“It could be both. Biology section later in the evening.” Barry volunteered. “Day of the week could be a factor as well.” he nodded. 

“True. I'll let him know.” Bruce looked back and Harley was still staring. “Stop it,” he told her. Harley grumped at him and snuggled against Ivy. 

**-**

BW: I'm sorry I can't come. 

CK: You have to talk to Lucius. I understand. I'll just spend spring break with 4 gorgeous women all by myself. 

BW: That's like every man's fantasy and it's wasted on you. 

CK: We're going to all get footloose and go skinny dipping in the pond. 

BW: Why did you convince me to make this meeting?

CK: Because it's important. Stop texting me. The cows are getting jealous. 

**-**

Hal and Barry were going to the beach. A few of Hal’s friends had rented a house. So he had the apartment to himself. Bruce couldn't remember the last time it had been so quiet. He pulled the prototype out of his room and spread it across the living room as he worked. The extra space was nice. By Monday morning he'd gotten 46 texts from the group, 4 pizzas delivered, and 8 hours of sleep total. But he finished. He rolled up the plans and took a shower. There was a picture of Clark and Diana carrying bales of hay from Ivy when he got out. Diana was in a tiny tank top and shorts. She was laughing at Clark who had pulled on a button up but hadn't bothered to button it after their morning at the pond, Clark had mentioned. 

BW: I hate you. 

I: Didn't you tell me you had a dream that started like that?

BW: I'm blocking you. 

He got crying laughing emojis back. 

**-**

He looked up the tower, the giant W barely visible from the ground. He gripped the roll of schematics tighter and pushed open the door. Jenny smiled at him when he walked up to her. “You know the way sir. I'll let Mr. Fox know you've arrived.” he thanked her and headed for the elevator. 

“Should I be worried? The last time you set up a meeting with me it wasn't a good one.” Lucius motioned for Bruce to sit when he didn't respond. 

He handed him the schematics and his notes. “I don't want to run Wayne Enterprises.” Lucius set down the pages. He didn't look as surprised as he expected, or he was better at hiding it. They were quiet for a few minutes, he could tell the older man was trying to choose his words carefully. 

“I suspected you might not.” Lucius smiled. “Two extra bachelors and now an extra master's?” he spread the schematics out. “I haven't seen you as engaged with anything as you are when you're working on figuring something out. You want to do this?” he nodded. 

“I know you were supposed to retire when I took over.” 

Lucius just laughed. “I don't plan on retiring for a while. The company will be yours, that doesn't mean you have to run it. I'll stay on and we'll work on finding you some brilliant kid who can run it with you.” They spent the entire morning going over details. 

BW: He wasn't mad. 

He slid his phone back into his pocket as the car stopped in front of the manor. Alfred greeted him with a hug and a smile. He sent a few pictures of the food Alfred had made to the group and got drooling faces back. He was out by the lake watching the water as it rippled in the wind. Behind him his childhood home stood, guarding over him. He couldn't imagine losing the memories he had of his parents. The old tree that his dad had attached a swing to, they had all ended up on the ground in a heap when the branch broke. The vase that he broken and his mom had helped him put back together. He could still see the glue sticking out of the cracks. All these little things that helped him remember them. He grabbed his phone. 

**-**

“Two Bachelorette parties?” he groaned. 

“Well there are two of them,” Clark said calmly. Because he was hours away and didn't have to worry about having fun at two parties on the same weekend. “It'll be fun.” he laughed. They were going to compete. Selina sent him a death face. She understood. 

“Say your goodbyes now. I'll be dead by Easter.”

“That would be ironic.” Bruce fake laughed into the phone and Clark started talking about the latest issues he was having with the tractor. They'd worried through most of the issues over the phone, but they hadn't found the root of the problem.

**\---**

Clark had spent the good part of a week under the tractor that had fallen on his mom trying to get it as geared up as he could before he put it out in the market. It was too big for them and his mom wouldn't touch it after the accident and he really didn't need it if they were getting rid of the farm.

Martha had already started packing when the girls had gotten in for spring break, lighting up their house with noise and fun that he hadn't realized that he'd missed so much. They didn't really do anything special, they drove around the small town and stared at the stars that you couldn't see in the city and Harley insisted in following him around with a camera as he did his morning chores. “I swear, the two if you were made to procreate.” She swooned as Clark and Diana dropped new bails of hay into the barn, still half dressed from swimming earlier that day. “It is a damn shame that God made you gay. A damn shame.” 

Clark smirked and buttoned his short to keep her from ogling. “Aren't you gay, babe?” he asked with a quirk of an eyebrow. 

She grinned and ran to him, “That depends, can you lift me?” 

She spent the wall back to the house on his shoulders giggling like a child with Ivy shooting him apologetic looks while also grinning at her. The love in her eyes was so evident that it almost hurt to look at dead on, but he made himself anyway. “How are the wedding plans?” he asked dropping her easily into the porch steps. 

“Going great.” Ivy told him happily. 

“Yeah!” Harley agreed pulling her inside. “I haven't even really freaked out yet!” she said proudly, though Selina gave him a look that said she was sugar coating it. 

It was hard to let them go back to Metropolis without him but, as he reminded them, he would see them in a few weeks. “Your friends miss you.” His mom commented after they drove off and he came back into the house. She was still packing what they don't use in the kitchen. “It'll be good for you to get back to them after someone buys the farm.”

“We haven't sold it yet.” he told her with a shrug. 

She frown at him. “But it will be.” She told him as he walked back out to seed. 

**-**

He felt uncomfortable being back in his reporter clothes, dark ironed jeans and white button up rolled up to his elbows, with his glasses clenched in his hand. He tapped his foot while he waited for the banker to come out to get him and pulled out his phone. 

CK: Do you think my glasses make me look more professional or just like a total dweeb? 

BW: More like a nerd than a dweeb. But a professional nerd? 

CK: I'll take it. 

The banker came out and read his name off the list and they shook hands. He could see him shift a little disgusted at the roughness of his palms and tried not to read too far into it. He was a businessman. He had a good farm and a good plan. Surely this meeting would go okay. 

**-**

It didn't. He fell onto his bed feeling sick to his stomach and threw an arm over his eyes. He didn't understand why he felt like such a failure. His mom was right. He wasn't a farmer, he’d never wanted to be one- and yet here he was fighting so hard to hold onto something that he had already lost. He dialed before he thought about it, listening until it stopped ringing and said, “Tell me something good.” 

“Tell me that you like me?” Bruce shot a song lyric at him. 

Clark snorted. “Close enough.” He agreed dropping his arm and staring at the wall. “I went to the bank today.” He told him. 

Bruce snapped to attention. “I'm guessing the glasses didn't work.” Bruce said dully.

Clark sighed, “Someone already signed for the farm. Rich guy, he paid in full. The bank said that even if they could help that the buyer would just raise the price and the papers had already been signed.” Bruce was quiet for a minute trying to find the right things to say but Clark didn't want to talk about it any more. “So tell me something good.” He said half ass singing it at him with a laugh he didn't really feel. 

“Well…” Bruce started, “I just made about a hundred penis shaped jello shots?” he offered up. 

Clark made an appreciative noise. “You had me at penis. Continue.”

“Well with these little guys it's all about the motion of the ocean.” Bruce shook the tray and watched them jiggle. “They don't seem very interested in me. I just couldn't get them hard.” 

Clark chuckled. “There's a first time for everything.” 

Bruce put the tray in the fridge with the others. “It's sadly not. Freshman year. It said hello then,” he made the noise of Pac-Man dying. Clark choked out a laugh. He leaned against the counter. He still had some more shots to make, but they could wait. “Never happened to you?” 

“Hasn't really been many opportunities,” Clark grumbled. 

“I'll take you to the French Literature section when you're up for the wedding,” Clark chuckled softly. “Can you believe it? A wedding in 6 weeks. Harley is up to a freak out twice a week. She call you during one yet?” Clark told him about the last phone call. He let him talk, pulling the words out of him until he sounded more like himself. 

**-**

Watching everyone slurp down his technicolor penis shots was amusing. Bruce took pictures of everyone and sent them to Clark. Harley posed, jello shot hanging over her open mouth as she looked at the camera. Ivy bit off the tip and grinned mischievously in her picture. Selina held it up like she was modeling on the price is right. Diana kissed hers. Hal made a noise behind him. Bruce grinned and handed the tray to him. “Gotta take one if you're coming with us.” He snapped the picture when Hal had it halfway in his mouth. He lunged for the phone, but it was too late. 

“Barry. I got your six pack!” Bruce shook the cans.

Barry's eyes lit up. He snatched the pack out of his hands. “How did you find them?” he downed the can of some Russian Energy drink faster than Hal eating another penis shot. 

“I have my resources.” 

By the time they got to the club another tray was gone and Barry had one energy drink left. Barry was finally 18. The bouncer studied him and his ID for a few minutes before letting them in. They cheered and Barry did a jig before running for the restroom. They made their way to the bar. 

A few hours and too many drinks later Ivy and Harley were holding each other and swaying. Bruce wouldn't really call it dancing, but they were. The rest of them were telling stories about the strangest things they'd done while drunk. Barry was flitting from person to person. Hovering over their shoulder for a second before darting to the next. Diana finished her story and they all stared in awe. Hal cleared his throat. He looked at each of them before grabbing his foot. He nearly fell over, but Barry was behind him and pushed him back up. “I lost my toe.” he struggled out of his shoe and wiggled the four remaining toes. They all leaned forward. Diana counted each tie slowly, her finger poking each one. “There's only four,” she said seriously. 

Bruce stumbled toward the bathroom. “He only has four toes. Diana counted them.” 

“Wha? Bruce. It's 2 in the morning. I have to be up in less than three hours.” 

“One of his piggies just went off to the market and never came back.” he said gravely. “How does he walk?” Clark was laughing. He smiled into the phone. 

“With his other toes. Who are you talking about?”

“The not you living in your room,” he groaned. “He's not _so_ bad. But I just think it's the penises talking.” he wiggled his fingers and made babbling noises. “What if they talked?” he stared in horror down the front of his shirt. 

“Oh my god. What did you drink?”

“I drank the alcohol, and one of Barry's energy drinks. When are you coming home?” he asked. Barry and Hal were arm wrestling. Diana had her head on the table watching intently as she refereed. 

“In 5 weeks for the wedding.” 

“Can you stay forever?” he leaned his head against the wall. “and ever and ever.” Clark was quiet. He held his breath. 

“You guys should go to sleep. Call me when you wake up okay?”

“Okay. Miss you.” he mumbled half waving at the phone. 

“I miss you too.” 

Bruce smiled as he hung up. He threw a pillow at Hal, laughing as it hit him in the face, and placed a blanket on Barry. “Clark says it's time to sleep.” They all started toward beds. 

**-**

He woke up at the foot of his bed. His feet were on the ground and his arm was hanging off the end. He sat up and looked over. Ivy and Harley were curled around each other. He snapped a picture of them and headed for the bathroom. He checked the other rooms after managing to quell his stomach. Hal and Barry were in Barry's bed. Barry was drooling on Hal’s shoulder. Diana and Selina were in Hal’s bed. They had their backs to each other. Selina cracked open an eye and stuck her tongue out at him. 

Bruce started coffee and drank two glasses of water before he felt like an actual human. He called Clark as the coffee started to drip. 

“It's alive.” Clark answered sounding like Frankenstein. He was way too awake for 1:27 in the afternoon. He blinked at the clock. “Did any of the piggies come back from market?” 

He rolled his eyes. “Ha. Ha. No. You should have seen it though. Diana was so fascinated. She kept counting them. I think he liked the attention.” Bruce told him about the rest of the party. He could hear Clark working in the background, there were a few times he could tell he was on speaker. He remembered telling Clark he missed him. His heart ached at the memory. He hadn't realized just how much. It had been almost 4 months since he'd seen him, it would be another before he'd get to. He sighed. He could do another month. 

**-**

He added a post it note to the box. _Don't tell Clark_ , scrawled in his sloppy handwriting as he boxed up the deed and other paperwork the lawyers were insisting on. It felt strange. He'd used up the rest of the money in his personal accounts. He kept looking at the 127.56 left in his account. He sealed the box and added the postage. He swiped his card and watched the number dwindle even further. 

Ivy stared at him as he read the menu. He'd never really looked at the prices before. He commented on the additional charge for avocado and Ivy put down her menu. 

“What is wrong with you?” he shook his head and denied that there was anything. “You've been acting strange for a few days now.” He decided on a simple burger before setting his menu down. 

“I bought something. You have to promise not to say anything.” she nodded. “I bought a farm. Clark's farm.” Ivy just stared at him. “I didn't mean to.” She shot him a look. People didn't accidentally by farms he knew that. But he really hadn't intended to. He'd just called to see if there was any way he could help out when the man had told him the price. He'd just done it. “I think it's a good investment. I looked into it. They were making profit when Clark's dad was running it. I think they could get there with some improvements.” 

Ivy leaned forward. Her interest peaked. “What improvements?” they talked for the rest of lunch about integrating her irrigation system onto a large scale project. By the end of lunch she was excited and was already working on a plan to get everything ready. “What did Clark say?” she asked as they walked out. 

“I didn't tell him.” he said, ducking his head. 

“Why not?” she asked hitting his shoulder. 

“I don't know. I don't want him to think he owes me anything. It's better this way.” she looked at him. “You can't keep pulling strings to make his life easier and not tell him. That's not okay.” 

He nodded. He knew that. He did. “I'll tell him. I promise. Just not over the phone.” she looked at him like she didn't believe him, but nodded. 

**-**

“What is this?” Bruce blinked at the unknown number. Kansas was all it said. He recognized the voice though. 

“You got the package?” 

“I did." Martha told him. "What does this mean?” 

“It’s an investment. Ivy and I have been working on some things. We've been looking for a place for a practical application,” he wasn't lying. They had been discussing it for a few years but it had been nothing but far off dreams. “I want to hire you,” he said softly. 

This was the part he was terrified of. She could say no. She could tell him it wasn't his place and this would all be for nothing. “Hire me?” she asked. 

“I need a manager. You know the farm better than anyone else. You can hire a hand, show them the ropes. You can stay.” Bruce added quietly. 

She was quiet on the other end. “You are a little insane aren't you? But if you are offering me a job and my home back then I guess I can't say no.” 

**-**

He got the papers back along with two pies a few days later. He dropped them off at the lawyers and got started with Ivy. They split their time between final wedding arrangements and their plans for the farm. 

“We could make a fortune just selling her pies,” Ivy said as she finished the last of the first pie. The other one was safely hidden in Bruce's room waiting for him when he got back.   
“We have to get this figured out first. Why isn't the flow rate the same?” Ivy looked at him like he was an idiot before answering. 

Harley dropped in and sat next to them her eyes following their work for a few minutes. “This is gonna be big. Who are you doing this for?” 

Ivy looked at him. He looked back. He was surprised that she hadn't told Harley. “We've decided to expand into agriculture a little more.” he answered. It was the truth. Once he could prove that their system worked he planned on taking it to Lucius. 

**-**

“My mom said we're staying,” Bruce blinked awake. It was barely 6. He didn't even remember when he'd gotten home from Ivy’s. 

“That's great,” he yawned. Clark sounded like a kid on Christmas. He listened to him talk while he let his eyes close. He couldn't fall back to sleep. When Clark finished telling him about the offer he yawned again. “Is this revenge for the Bachelorette Party?” Clark laughed. Bruce missed it. He missed watching him clutch his stomach every time, throwing his whole body into his joy. 

“Maybe. _And_ I was so excited. I had to tell you.”


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

Diana said that a car would come get him at some point the next morning. Clark had insisted in driving himself, but the entire group speakerphone bombarded him about the condition of his truck before they got him to agree to just let them take care of things. He was nervous. He tried to tell himself that he was nervous because he had to take a part in the wedding, but it was a small affair for mostly friends, and Clark knew in his heart of hearts that had nothing to do with it. He would see Bruce tomorrow. Bruce who he hadn't seen in five months. Bruce who he had spoken to, spilled his guts out to and laughed with every _single_ day for five months.

Moths flew around his stomach. He didn't eat much at dinner but his mom didn't notice, she had applications spread out before her for ranch hands and research assistants trying decide in the right pick. He had pointed out a few that looked promising but she insisted that she would know when it was right. So he left her to it. 

He got up early the next day to take care of the animals so his mom wouldn't have to worry about it and got in the shower around nine. He washed off the dust and pulled on a pair of less worn jeans and his Metropolis U baseball shirt as the moths attacked his gut again. The car ride was six hours, he reminded himself. He would have time to be nervous all he wanted when they headed out. He grabbed his bag and put it by the staircase before he went back up to make sure he had everything. 

He stuffed his phone charger into his bag on the way back down and found his mom at the table, the applications fewer than the night before. He refilled her coffee and poured himself a mug. “Have any gut feelings?” he teased her and she glared at him for a moment before she smiled at him. 

“Any chance you want to change your major to bio-engineering?” she asked. Clark shook head into his mug and she sighed. “Then I guess I'm shit up the creek." 

Clark choked on his coffee and yelled, “Ma,” as he laughed. He hardly ever heard her curse and when she did it was always surprising. She grinned mischievously at him when the inevitable knock came in the door. “You sure you can manage without me for a few days?” he asked suddenly worried. 

“In a few weeks I'll be managing without you forever.” She shooed him with a swat on the butt. “Now don't be rude and answer the door.” 

He smirked at her and put his cup on the counter, slipping on his glasses as he walked into the entryway. “Sorry to keep you-” he started as he pulled the door open and blinked when he saw Bruce standing nervously in the doorway. 

“Surprise,” he said in an awkward sing songy voice with a smile to match, but it got bigger the longer he stood there. Bruce looked good. So much better than he remembered and better than pictures could ever portray. And god damn if he ever wore a jacket the wasn't leather Clark might just have to kill him. He opened his mouth to say something but just ended up shaking his head and hugging him so hard that he felt his back crack. Any nerves he'd had about seeing him were completely gone and all he could feel was how fucking happy he was to see his best friend again. “I can't breathe.” Bruce grumbled into his ear but he hugged him back just as hard and it was Clark that had to pull away. 

He smiled a huge dorky smile, “It's so good to see you when your mouth isn't full of multi colored dicks” He told him and Bruce laughed so hard that it threw his head back. 

**-**

The drive back to Metropolis was entirely too short and full of so much talking that he couldn't have told you what station the radio had been on. Clark didn't know how you could spend so much time talking to one person and still come away feeling like he hadn't spoken enough. “You have to tell me why you hate Hal.” He said after he could breathe again having laughed for five minutes from his impression of the new roommate. 

“I don't hate him.” Bruce rolled his eyes. “He just makes it hard to like him sometimes. He's so... _judgy_.” 

Clark snorted, “So are you.” 

“I am not!” Bruce said sounding offended. 

Clark turned in his seat to stare at him. “You called me at two in the morning to ask me if all of Hal's personality was in his missing pinky toe.” 

“I still think that is a valid point!” 

**-**

They went by Diana's apartment first to drop off Clark’s bag and the three of them headed over to the dorm. It was strange being back on campus but he didn't have time to think about it when he was bombarded with streamers and a chorus if “The golden boy returns!” and they pulled him through the doorway. 

“I thought we were supposed to be celebrating you guys.” Clark told Harley and Ivy when they jumped him. 

“The wedding is in four days.” Ivy smirked and pulled the string on another champagne popper. 

“Yeah, tonight is about the gang getting back together!” Harley squeezed and planted a wet kiss on his cheek before passing him to Selina. 

She waited until Harley was out of earshot and gave him a mercy look. “Give her till morning.” She told him. “She has been a mess, and you are on A team with me.”

He watched Harley as she poured out shots and winced at the thought. “Can't wait.” He grumbled when Barry finally got to him and jumped to throw his arms around his neck and Clark hugged him off the floor to a round of wolf whistles and ‘get a room that made Barry's face turn reader than Ivy's hair.

When he’d finally gotten around to everyone Hal stepped up and shook hand. “Hal,” he told him with a kind smile, “I feel like I know you already with how much they talk about you.”

Clark grinned back, “Same here. I hope they've been good to you. I know they are kind of a lot.” He said fondly. 

“They're great.” He told him, “Barry is pretty much the coolest guy I've met in Metropolis. Thank you again for the recommendation.” He told him and Barry pulled Hal off towards the kitchen. 

“Recommendation?” he hadn't realized that Bruce had been listening until he turned around and saw him leaning against the couch. 

Clark shrugged innocently. “The school asked me when I called who I thought who be a better fit.” He admitted. “To be fair they didn't tell me much about him, just his major and some things off his application.” 

Bruce looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or hit him. “You are the reason I got stuck with this evil?” he demanded when Harley came around with shots and a new conversation took over. 

**-**

“Are you going to tell him?” Clark tilted his head and shifted his hazzy gaze from Bruce to Diana who was sitting on the couch next to him, looking at him over the bottom of her beer bottle. 

His eyes shot down to Barry who was passed out with his head on his lap and then back to her. “Probably not.” He admitted after a minute and went back to staring at Bruce. The moths he had pushed away flowing around in him again, filling his stomach with a light airiness that almost hurt. He knew what this feeling was even though he had never had it before, and he knew that everyone else could see it too. “He knows.” Clark shrugged. He couldn't see how Bruce wouldn't know that he was loopy, head over heels in love with him- he was too smart not to. 

“Still.” Diana said pushing past it, “It's nice to be told.” She nudged him with your shoulder. “Sometimes you need conformation.” 

Clark sighed and Barry snored softly in his lap signalling that it was officially time to end the night. He shook him but the kid was out hard so instead of pushing him, he just grabbed him up and threw him over his shoulder. “Alright, I think the party is over.” He told everyone and they groaned as he made his way back to Barry's room, catching Bruce's eye before he disappeared into the hallway. He had barely gotten Barry to sit on his bed when the three shots that Hal had snuck him came back up and he pat his back as he hugged the toilet. It took thirty minute to get him back to his room and tucked into bed while he mumbled a lecture to himself about never drinking again. 

He ran into Bruce on the way to his room and they smiled as the strangely comfortable awkwardness floated through the air. “You heading back with Di?” 

Clark nodded pushing his hands into his pockets. “Yeah.” 

Bruce swallowed and leaned in the door frame of his exposed room. “It's weird that you aren't staying here.” He said and Clark couldn't stop his eyes from darting to the room. His mind wandered to the time he had woken up in there, to what had almost happened.

He laughed off the tension, “I thought it might be rude to kick Hal out of his bed seeing as we just met and all.” He shrugged and licked his lips, suddenly feeling very dry. “See you in the morning?” he asked. 

Bruce nodded and dragged his gaze up from Clark's lips to his eyes. “Yeah.” He agreed and Clark found Diana before his feet could pull him back.

**\---**

He woke up to the smell of coffee. His blankets floated to the ground as he threw them off. Bruce slid in to the kitchen, socked feet adding to the urgency. Clark was smiling at him, sitting on the counter next to the coffee machine. “Barry said you've missed my coffee.” He looked up at Clark and took the cup he offered him. He did, but that had nothing to do with him wanting to wrap his arms around Clark and bury his face in his ugly plaid shirt.

He took a deep breath drawing in the warmth of the cup. “I just can't make it like you do,” he murmured as he savored the cup. He only had it for a few days. “What are you doing here so early?” 

Clark slid off the counter. “We have a busy day. Someone forgot to get a suit for the wedding.” Clark made a face. He finished the cup and nodded. 

“Right. Let me get dressed.”

**-**

They made a day out of it. Harley had told him he had to wear white. So naturally Clark tried on every white suit they had. The second suit he tried on was the one he was going to pick. Bruce could tell just by the way he stepped out of the dressing room. The man who was supposed to be helping them just brought them suits and let them be. 

“This one is too white,” Clark said, mimicking Ivy’s dry voice. 

Bruce laughed. “I can see your boxers.” he said to the next one. 

Clark looked him straight in the eyes. “Good thing I wore them today.” He lasted a second before laughing and spinning back into the stall. 

“That one isn't so bad. Wrong accent color.” Clark ran his fingers along the lapels. 

“You don't think Ivy will like fire engine red?”

“I think the rest of the suit would match it. When she stabbed you.” 

“Can I please wear this? I always wanted to wear one of these.” Clark fiddled with the powder blue ruffles on the tux. He was smiling so hard as he looked at himself in the mirror. 

“Save it for your own wedding.” Clark looked at him in the mirror. “It's not white.” Clark nodded and pouted as he walked back into the stall. 

“This is a joke right?” Clark walked out in a suit jacket, cut off just below his elbows and shorts. He started laughing. Clark turned and looked at himself in the mirror. “Why would you wear shorts to a wedding?” Bruce doubled over as Clark stared at his reflection, completely baffled by what he was looking at. 

He was still laughing when Clark came out in a sharp white suit, black lapels lining the black tie. Clark smirked at him. “You know I think I changed my mind. This one.” He agreed. Bruce stood up and straightened Clark's tie using the mirror to guide him. “There.” Clark smiled at his reflection. They looked like their roles were reversed. Clark would fit in at any Wayne function. His t-shirt and jacket, while costing as much as the suit, fit in more on the ground working a story. 

“Have you made a decision?” he jumped, and Clark's laughter was strained as they turned to the man. 

**-**

“I don't understand why she's so nervous,” he said as they ate. Sitting for an hour watching Clark change had worked up an appetite somehow. “They've been together for 5 years. I think it's the wedding. Selina just keeps telling her that Ivy is going to be standing right in front of her and she calms down.” 

Clark seemed amused. “You don't think you'd be nervous? Everyone you know watching you pledge your life, your heart to someone?” 

“No. My whole life has been on display. Public is public. It's the part before that. Asking that one person, hoping they'll want to be mine? That's what would terrify me. I know it.” he broke off another piece of bread. Clark considered his answer. “Ivy is going to have a meltdown at the rehearsal. I'm calling it now. She's been all go go go. After that there nothing but the actual wedding. It'll hit her right then and the B team will step up and get our girl down the aisle.” Clark smiled. He should tell him. He'd told Ivy he would, but he didn't want to ruin the easy day they were having. If Clark was mad… it could wait. 

**-**

He was right. As soon as Ivy climbed into the passenger's seat the tears started flowing. Selina and Harley had headed off with everyone else. They were spending the night apart. Ivy had held on to Harley so tight as she was leaving. They'd gotten stuck talking to Ivy’s parents. But Bruce had seen the start of it all then. 

“Ivy?” she looked over to him. “You want to go for a walk?” she nodded. He helped her up and they started walking around the church grounds. He pointed out all the things that she'd shown him when they first came. Every little detail that she'd fallen in love with. It was dark, but he knew that it didn't matter. She held his hand, eventually her tears stopped and she hugged his arm as she rested her cheek on his shoulder as they stood under the gazebo where she'd be saying her vows. 

“You know? I thought you'd be awful at this.” he chuckled. “Emotions have never been your strong suit. But you've changed.” 

She rubbed his arm. “I'm getting married tomorrow.” he smiled at the amazed tone. “I'm marrying Harley. Can you believe it?” 

“Not really.” Ivy slapped his arm and looked affronted at him. “If you'd told 18 year old me that those two chicks that shoved him into a closet were getting married I'd have laughed in your face.” he pulled her under his arm. “But I couldn't be happier for you two.” 

“That's not going to be your speech is it?” 

“It totally is.” Bruce attempted a touched voice. “It's hard to believe that it was a mere 5 years ago when a young woman walked up to me and said ‘You're hot. Wanna fuck?’ Then her friend, this gorgeous redhead, shoved her tongue-” Ivy elbowed him. “Or I could tell them about us making out during your Bachelorette party and you guys making me sleep at the foot of my own bed. That's a great story for a wedding.”

“Maybe you shouldn't give a speech.”

**-**

“Pamela Lillian Isley. You will come out of that restroom or I'm grabbing a screwdriver and coming in.” 

“Full names? Really Bruce?” Ivy pushed open the door. He grinned at her Bride outfit. Selina had sent him a picture of the Harley in the same with the caption, _These losers are so cute I want to barf._

“We have an appointment,” he wiggled his fingers at her. 

He watched the woman paint Ivy’s fingers as his toes dried. Ivy had made him get a clear coat since she was paying for it anyway. 

There was a curtain in the middle of the waiting room. He watched Ivy and Harley hold hands around the edge. 

**-**

The music started and Bruce shot Ivy a thumbs up before taking Selina's arm. They walked down the aisle, in their matching suits. The pastor nodded at them as they took their spots. Ivy came next, they had flipped a coin to see who would walk first. Her father's eyes were getting misty as he walked her down to them. She leaned up and kissed her father's cheek as she stepped next to him. 

They turned to watch Harley. He focused on her and not Clark. He'd been staring at him since they had gotten to the church. Her chin was quivering as she got closer to the end. Clark kissed her cheek and put her hands in Ivy’s. 

“Don't you cry. You're going to make me cry,” Ivy whispered. Harley laughed, a tear leaking out. He listened to the pastor, his eyes drifted to Clark as they exchanged vows. 

Everyone clapped as they walked down the aisle. Selina elbowed him as he stared at them. He took her hand. “They're married.” 

She smiled. “I know. I've been saying that for the last few minutes. Doesn't seem real.”

**-**

He gave his speech. They spread out on the dance floor at the reception. Every time he moved closer to Clark someone would call his name. He watched him mingle from across the room. Ivy walked up to Clark. She smiled at something he said. 

“I'm looking forward to trying out the new system. Ivy said you have some interesting ideas,” Bruce told one of Ivy’s classmates who was hoping to help them on their project. He glanced over and Clark was staring at him through the people dancing. 

**-**

Clark hadn't had a chance to be nervous before they were headed down the aisle. Harley had been a runaway bride all morning, attempting to slink off unnoticed for hours-so when she was finally dressed, Clark grabbed her arm and held her tight refusing to let go. “I have to pee.” She whispered looking like she was about to cry. 

“No you don’t.” He told her looking straight forward at the doors. 

“Well I forgot my bouquet.” She pouted and he handed it to her easily, fixing her with a look. Her eyes were wild, like his horses when they first got him, untrusting and longing to be free. 

He took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. “Harley, as your honorary father I am only going to ask this once.” He told her very seriously watching her swallow hard. “Do you want to get married today?” 

She blinked obviously not expecting that, “What?” 

“Do you want to marry Ivy?” he asked. Her eyes widened and fear claimed her. “You love her. I know you love her, but you have about two minutes to decide if you can handle being married. If you manage that then I am getting you down that aisle whether you like it or not.” They stood there silently for a minute, Harley staring at him trying to decide if he was serious or not. Harley’s music cued on and after a final look she nodded and turned back to the door, holding his arm like steal as they started down the rows of her friends. 

He watched Bruce the entire way up, watched his eyes dart over to him and he forced himself to look at Harley and failed to keep it there. He kissed her in the cheek as he handed her over muttering, “Good choice,” in her ear before he took his place next to Ivy’s dad who gave him a fond pat on the back. He kept his eyes on Bruce the entire time, unable to look away for a second except to watch them kiss and run back off down the aisle. 

They took pictures and Bruce made a terrible speech that Clark intended to tease him for, but they kept being pulled away from each other. He talked to Ivy's dad for a little while, joked about their kids growing up and then was pass off to the next person. It took a full hour before he actually got to see Ivy who hugged him so hard that it hurt. “Thanks for getting her to me.” She told him grinning. 

Clark shrugged flushing a little as her dad came back over to them, “I only had one job.” 

Her dad only caught the end of it though, “Yes Ivy was telling us about your job. She's very excited to start her research on the farm.” 

“Research?” Clark asked blinking at her, “On my farm?” 

Ivy looked confused and it clicked for both of them at the same time. “Bruce hasn't told you yet?” she asked. 

But Clark was too busy staring at Bruce across the crowd to hear her. He was such an idiot. All of the money in the world and he bought Clark's tiny, useless farm. He bought his farm and didn't tell him. Be bought his farm and… let his mom stay in her house. Gave her something to fuss over knowing how much she loved to putter around. Allowed her to hire help so she wouldn't have to do it alone- and so that Clark could… “Excuse me.” He told them his voice suddenly very thick as he marched across the room dodging the people dancing and laughing and drinking. He was about twenty feet from Bruce when he noticed that Clark was walking at him. 

Bruce frown as he got closer, intensity radiating off of Clark for those final few steps. Bruce opened his mouth to say something but Clark didn't give him a chance, grabbing him by his lapels and pulled him into a hard kiss. Bruce was bewildered when he pulled away from him and Clark shook his head still not sure if he was mad or overwhelmed or just... flummoxed. “You are an idiot.” He told him and he kissed him again. Only this time he didn't let go. And he was pretty sure that he never would again.


	11. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

He woke up to the sun shining through the window. It warmed the room just enough to make the blankets his legs were tangled in uncomfortable. He rubbed the empty spot next to him. He closed his eyes and listened. The house was quiet, no clatter of breakfast being made or the murmur of projects getting assigned. He rolled over and checked the clock. It was half past eleven. He sat up and looked around. The room was a mess. Clark's jeans were covered in mud and draped over the back of the desk chair. His own pair were piled in the corner with the rest of their dirty clothes. Martha had walked in once a few days into the summer and walked right back out. He dug through the dresser before rummaging through his bag shoved under the bed. He pulled on a shirt and found his cleanest pair of jeans before heading downstairs. Martha was sitting on the front porch. Bruce stood next to her and watched. Ivy and a few of her friends were standing over a table at the mouth of the barn. “You two had a late night.”

He blushed, the walls were too thin, and looked toward the field. “Is he still out with that thing?” 

“Been out there since breakfast. Stubborn.” 

“We'll get it up and running today.” He smiled at Martha as he headed down the stairs and out into the field. 

Bruce touched the stalks as he walked through them, winding his way through until he heard a loud clunk and Clark's voice, a curse worthy of a sailor. He stepped out into the small clearing where the pump stood. Clark was down in a pit, knee deep in mud as he worked. He sat down on the edge of the pit and watched him. Another loud bang and he couldn't hold back the snicker. Clark's head shot up, barely missing a metal bar. He smiled brightly when he saw Bruce. “Sleeping beauty finally joining us for the day?” 

“Yeah. Another prince came and kissed me since mine was too busy wading around in mud.” Clark smirked and pulled him down into the pit. There went the last of his clean clothes. 

Clark kissed him, stealing his breath. “Your mom heard us,” he said as Clark pulled away. 

“I told you she would.” Clark flicked mud at him. 

“I figured out what the issue was. While you were crushing me to death last night.” Bruce pulled a panel open. “Miscommunication.” Clark stepped up behind him and watched him work. He replaced the panel and stepped back. “Try it now.” Clark pushed himself up out of the pit and to the control panel. He pressed a button and the pump start up. He studied the pressure gauge until it steadied then climbed out. 

Clark's arms wrapped around him as they watched the machine. “I think you just implied us having sex gave you an epiphany.”

“I did. Maybe we should see if I can get another one. Ivy’s been complaining about the power levels all week,” he said as Clark kissed his neck. “I want to get it figured out before school starts back up.” 

Clark spun him. “I don't know why you're so worried. Everyone knows what they're doing. Ma promised she'd call if anything went down.” 

“I know, but we've got one week left. I just want everything to be perfect.” Clark kissed his nose and laughed when he pushed him away. “Ugh. I hate it when you do that.” They walked go through the corn. 

Everyone gathered in the kitchen. It was a tight fit, but the crew had become just as tight-knit. Clark had lost his loft to the grad students last summer. The basement was converted into a lounge, mostly it housed full grown adults napping. Bruce snagged a plate while he could and retreated up to their room. Clark had beat him there. The window was wide open, curtains swaying in the breeze. He climbed out, managing to only lose a potato in the process, and sat down next to Clark. He glanced at him before starting on his plate. The fields stretched out to greet the setting sun. This view never got old. 

He put his plate down. “Are you sure?” he asked. Clark turned, a bemused smile on his face. They'd had this conversation too many times before. “I know. You've told me that you can write anywhere, but…” he looked back out over the farm. “Gotham doesn't have views like this.”

“I like my view right now plenty. And I'm pretty sure I'm taking it to Gotham with me.” Bruce looked over to Clark who was watching him. Clark managed to look serious for a few seconds before cracking, breaking them both into laughter. “I had to. It was just begging for some cheese.” He pulled Clark closer. And Clark continued, resting his head on his shoulder. “We've done long distance. I know we could do it again, but I want to be with you. Plus, I have a job in Gotham now, an actual job where I'll write stories and not just read them. I'm not going to change my mind.”

**-**

His phone came to life. He pawed at it and pushed at Clark's shoulder as he tried to crawl out from under him. He moved enough to reach the phone while Clark settled on his chest without waking. He answered the phone and ran his fingers through Clark's hair. 

“Hello?”

“Master Bruce.” Alfred sounded out of sorts. He'd only heard him sound so worried once before. “A package arrived for you.” he ran through the list in his head. There shouldn't be anything arriving- “A... baby. That is.” 

His fingers tightened in Clark's hair and the sleeping man whined. “A what?” he asked. Clark pulled his hand off of his head and sat up, looking concerned. 

“Would you like me to read the letter?” Bruce nodded. Clark was mouthing words at him, asking what was wrong. He mumbled a short yes to Alfred. “ _‘Dear Bruce, I can't keep hiding. I can't keep lying. I know you will be angry, but I know that you will love our son. You will take care of him, my sweet Damian. Please tell him that I love him more than anything. But my father would never allow me to keep him. I am sorry I never told you.’_ It is signed-”

“Talia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Say, Say, Say was inspired by the Song Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs- if you have not listened to this song, please copy past the URL below because you are seriously missing out.
> 
> Official music video;  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIIxlgcuQRU
> 
> Acoustic version;  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaEFs4a6P2Q
> 
> Or if You would like to watch me humiliate myself- here is a ukulele version on my channel;  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0DngvjIMp4
> 
> Thank you so much for taking the time to read our fic! DNA and I loved writing it so much that we couldn't let go of this story yet, so be on the look out for the next one! _My Kind's Your Kind_ will be coming (hopefully) soon. If you enjoyed the fic, please let us know with a comment of a kudos! Or if you wanna drop a message just to say hi, I'd love to hear from you  <3
> 
> All my lovin'!  
> - _Prubbs_


End file.
